PMG boot failure: can't find zpool "rpool"

[SomeNewUser]

Kernel: 7.0.14-15-pve #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC PMX 7.0.14-15 (2026-08-26T14:21Z) x86_64
pmgversion: pmg-api/9.1.2/42245585286a (running kernel: 7.0.14-15-pve)

After recent package upgrades (today) to a PMG install, a reboot results in failure to locate zfs "zroot" fileystem.

I tried booting the the previous working kernel, but the same problem appeared.


From console, boot gets dumped to (initramfs) prompt. Info on console around that point:

Begin: Importing ZFS root pool 'rpool' ... Begin :Importing pool 'rpool' using defaults ... Failure: 1

Failure: 1



Command: /usr/sbin/zpool import -N 'rpool'

Messages: cannot import rpool': no such pool available

Error: 1



Failed to import pool 'rpool'

Manually import the pool and exit



Buzybox (text)

(initramfs)

From here, I am able to: (as a diagnostic step)

(initramfs) zpool import -d /dev/....path.to.partition.with.zroot

pool: rpool
id: [0-9]+
state: ONLINE
action: The pool can be imported using its name or numeric idetifier.
config:
rpool ONLINE
disk/by-id/name-here ONLINE

(it is not needed. I could have typed "zpool import -N rpool" and "exit")

(initramfs) zpool import -N rpool
(initramfs) exit

Boot resumes, and services start, web interface is available.
This happens reliably on each boot.
Initially, "zpool upgrade" showed several features were available.

As a diagnostic step, I enabled these features in the pool and rebooted, but the same problem appeared and the same manual import "worked" to get PMG booted.

After boot, "apt update ; apt upgrade" shows nothing new available.

Suggestions?

 

[Onslow]

"apt update ; apt upgrade" shows nothing new available.

Welcome, @SomeNewUser

Don't use apt upgrade .
Use apt full-upgrade

 

[news]

May be @SomeNewUser you show us your real hardware and the Disks?
SSD no QLC and HDD no SLC Drives.
ZFS run on my servers as ZFS Raid 1 - Mirror with on minimum 2 disks.
Example I setup a ZFS Mirror SSDs disk for only the rpool and the proxmox ve system.
for the vm and data i setup a second ZFS Pool dpool with different parameter and sizes.

Proxmox VE Backups of LXC and VM are 'good' located on a other Proxmox Backup Server (BS), that 'must' use SSDs for the Datastorrage!

 

[SomeNewUser]

Welcome, @SomeNewUser

Don't use apt upgrade .
Use apt full-upgrade

Same net result: no new packages available. HTH.

 

[SomeNewUser]

May be @SomeNewUser you show us your real hardware and the Disks?
SSD no QLC and HDD no SLC Drives.
ZFS run on my servers as ZFS Raid 1 - Mirror with on minimum 2 disks.
Example I setup a ZFS Mirror SSDs disk for only the rpool and the proxmox ve system.
for the vm and data i setup a second ZFS Pool dpool with different parameter and sizes.

Proxmox VE Backups of LXC and VM are 'good' located on a other Proxmox Backup Server (BS), that 'must' use SSDs for the Datastorrage!

PMG mentioned runs as a VM on PVE 9.2.11 host.
Did you want hardware settings for the VM on the PVE where PMG is running?

 

[SomeNewUser]

Welcome, @SomeNewUser

Don't use apt upgrade .
Use apt full-upgrade

I used this to inspect installed packages (dpkg -l) and review for possible older versions of the "same" package. I found 2, removed them, re-issued "update-initramfs -u" but problem on boot persists.
(I'm assuming that is where you were going with your suggestion: possible old packages not having been removed.)

 

[SomeNewUser]

An update on progress (diagnostic step which bypasses the problem, but is not a fix):

An edit to: "/etc/default/zfs"
to append:

# FIXME: test adding:
ZFS_INITRD_PRE_MOUNTROOT_SLEEP='5'
ZFS_INITRD_POST_MODPROBE_SLEEP='5'

Then running :

update-initramfs -u

and rebooting did not help.

However, an edit to: "/etc/default/zfs"
and change these to to 20:

ZFS_INITRD_PRE_MOUNTROOT_SLEEP='20'
ZFS_INITRD_POST_MODPROBE_SLEEP='20'

Then running :

update-initramfs -u

and reboot, and after the two 20 second pauses, the boot works without manual intervention.

Maybe a recent change to PVE has changed this, to break boot of PMG.

Hopefully, this helps with suggestions for cause. This delay is not a fix, but a work-around and provides usefal diagnostic data:
There appears to be a timing issue on boot not seen before, where zfs/zpool are not immediately available to the booting kernel/system, but after some delay, become available.

I'd rather have a faster boot (like before this problem appeared.) Do you have any suggestions which could cause zfs/zpool discovery/availability to be delayed after updates?

 

[SomeNewUser]

Update on work-around:

Only changes to "/etc/default/zfs" reduced to:

ZFS_INITRD_POST_MODPROBE_SLEEP='10'

and not including "ZFS_INITRD_PRE_MOUNTROOT_SLEEP"

then running:

update-initramfs -u

After that rebooting seems to be the "optimal minimum" time delay with 3 out of 3 boot tests.

Setting to "9" seconds or less, and manual intervention is required or boot is blocked on 3 out of 3 boot tests.

So, down from an added 40 seconds wait on each reboot to 10 seconds of added wait time.
Not a fix, just a work-around.

Any suggestions for a fix so no delay/sleep is required?

Thanks!