Cannot boot from software RAID with 2TB disks

[Chan Chung Hang Christopher]

> Just to make sure I get the software RAID stuff right:
> - I cannot run the machine if /boot is installed on a RAID5 (because the individual members of the RAID5 array will not contain a complete copy of /boot, so the machine cannot load the kernel, which is in turn needed to handle the RAID5 and combine the data on the RAID5 members to something useful).
> - I should be able to run the machine with /boot on a RAID1 (because there is a complete copy of /boot on each of the RAID1 members, so the data on each of the members is complete even without the kernel handling the RAID1).
> - It should be possible to use my 5-disk system using RAID by setting up identical partitions on each of the five disks as follows:
> 	* A small partition on each disk, combined in RAID1 for /boot (mirroring of /boot on all five disks). How big/small should I make these partitions?

512 mebibytes is plenty enough for /boot.


> 	* A larger partition on each disk, combined in RAID5 for swap (a total of 5-10 GB should be enough, right?)

Just stick swap on a lvm volume like perhaps the rest of the system.


> 	* Use the remaining space for partitions combined in RAID5 (for the "main" file system)

and use that raid5 md device as a pv/vg/lv.



> 
> What do you think? Did I get this right? Any issues or flaws?
> 

Not using a spare and going for a whole raid5? Usage patterns not 
suitable for software raid5? It's your system...