ZBM with Encrypted Dataset I don't want mounted / OnFailure=emergency.target ??

[reefland]

I've created a dataset such as k3s06/backups within that I have remote system place their encrypted datasets as backups. This part is working fine.

Upon reboot ZBM, asks for k3s06/ROOT password as expected and I can enter this via DropBear too.

However, after entering this password ZBM exists out and the system starts to boot and then is prompting me for password of the k3s06/backups dataset(s). At this point it is after DropBear but before SSHD is available, so this is only shown on the console.

If I just do CTRL-C or press ENTER either of these result in:

[FAILED] Failed to start Load ZFS key for rpool/backups/apps
[DEPEND] Dependency failed for /backups/apps

The system essentially halts. Will not progress any further. The system is unbootable as each datasets use a different long hex password.

On the Traditional OpenZFS on Root method I simply set canmount=noauto on these remote datasets and that is enough to not be prompted and system is allowed to boot. I even tried changing keylocation from prompt to a filepath that does not exist and it still prompts for a password.

Using the ZBM recovery console, I had to destroy all datasets under k3s06/backups to get the system bootable again.

I also tried creating the dataset under k3s06/ROOT/backups and then after remote replication completed, I set canmount=noauto on its k3s06/ROOT/backups/apps and rebooted. It correctly did not prompt me for a dataset password, but still left the system unbootable with message:

[FAILED] Failed to start Import keys for all datasets"

And would not progress beyond that.

Again use ZBM recovery console to delete the datasets and the system was bootable again.

Lastly I modified the /etc/systemd/system/zfs-load-key.service and changed OnFailure=emergency.target to just OnFailure=

Upon rebooting, enter the normal ZBM encryption password and then there was just a time delay of some sort - minute or so (no prompt for password, no error messages) but just wait and the system booted up as expected. No errors within dmesg output.

So what is the expected behavior of OnFailure=emergency.target when using ZBM / Dracut ?? Should that have done something such as drop me back to ZBM recovery console instead of a system hang / halt ?

[ahesford]

This is your distribution's initramfs. ZFSBootMenu has no control over the boot process after it launches your boot environment.