Install Proxmox on an existing ZFS rpool

Toxik

Well-Known Member
Jul 11, 2019
61
7
48
Germany
Hi,
is it possible to install Proxmox on an existing ZFS rpool by just deleting the rpool/RPOOL/pve-1 dataset and recreating it?
I'm just wondering if I can reinstall Proxmox without losing VMs that are stored on the rpool, too.

Thanks!
 
is it possible to install Proxmox on an existing ZFS rpool by just deleting the rpool/RPOOL/pve-1 dataset and recreating it?
I'm just wondering if I can reinstall Proxmox without losing VMs that are stored on the rpool, too.

Generally, no. The installer will always recreate everything

You can however, e.g install PVE on another system (even in a VM) with ZFS and send/receive your rpool/RPOOL/pve-1 to the old system after renaming the previous one. This has to be done in a live system so that you're not running the OS you're replacing.
 
After seding the rpool/RPOOL/pve-1 dataset from another system to Proxmox system I probably also have to run the /etc/kernel/postinst.d/zz-pve-efiboot on the destination system to make it bootable again (update EFI partition with curretn kernel version).
 
After seding the rpool/RPOOL/pve-1 dataset from another system to Proxmox system I probably also have to run the /etc/kernel/postinst.d/zz-pve-efiboot on the destination system to make it bootable again (update EFI partition with curretn kernel version).

Totally right, the bootloader/EFI stuff has to be written again.