| 28 May 2024 |
 Ramses 🇵🇸 | You don't need to wipe the disks, you can do an installation as usual, but instead of creating new partitions, you do the conversion, and then continue with the installation as usual | 17:58:05 |
| Ramses 🇵🇸 | I'd still take a backup beforehand just in case though | 17:58:20 |
 @netpleb:matrix.org | In reply to @rvdp:infosec.exchange
You don't need to wipe the disks, you can do an installation as usual, but instead of creating new partitions, you do the conversion, and then continue with the installation as usual what about doing the whole thing over ssh? too risky? | 18:01:23 |
| Ramses 🇵🇸 | If you're comfortable with kexec'ing into an image in memory, then it's doable. If you've never done that before, then I'd make sure that you're able to get to the machine in case you mess up | 18:03:13 |
 K900 ⚡️ | I would generally not do anything but routine updates over SSH with no backup plan | 18:04:40 |
| @netpleb:matrix.org | In reply to @rvdp:infosec.exchange
If you're comfortable with kexec'ing into an image in memory, then it's doable. If you've never done that before, then I'd make sure that you're able to get to the machine in case you mess up I have never done that before, but it sounds like that is what I would like to do. I can get to the machine physically if I mess up. Is kexec'ing better than, say, this: https://lord.re/en/posts/58-pivot_root-unmount-son-root/ ? | 18:05:02 |
| K900 ⚡️ | Honestly | 18:05:25 |
| K900 ⚡️ | If you can get physical access to the machine | 18:05:29 |
| K900 ⚡️ | And it doesn't require, like, driving to a data center | 18:05:35 |
| K900 ⚡️ | Just reinstall | 18:05:36 |
| K900 ⚡️ | It's not worth the trouble | 18:05:39 |
| Ramses 🇵🇸 | Unless you do it for educational purposes, I agree | 18:06:14 |
| @netpleb:matrix.org | In reply to @k900:0upti.me
If you can get physical access to the machine Yeah, but this is practice for when such physical access is too much of a pain. | 18:06:32 |
| K900 ⚡️ | Uhh | 18:06:41 |
| K900 ⚡️ | If you actually have a production system you have to attempt this on | 18:06:53 |
| K900 ⚡️ | You have a MUCH bigger problem | 18:06:57 |
| K900 ⚡️ | btrfs convert is something you do as a joke | 18:07:15 |
| K900 ⚡️ | Not something you do to systems you care about | 18:07:24 |
| @netpleb:matrix.org | In reply to @k900:0upti.me
If you actually have a production system you have to attempt this on Sorry, I should have clarified. It is "in production" but even the production instance is just mostly for education purposes. If I mess it up I will only be mad at myself (and nobody else will be mad at me). | 18:08:46 |
| K900 ⚡️ | What I'm saying is, this is not a thing you should be practicing | 18:09:01 |
| K900 ⚡️ | If anything, the thing you should be practicing is never getting into a situation where you need to do this | 18:09:18 |
| @netpleb:matrix.org | In reply to @k900:0upti.me
What I'm saying is, this is not a thing you should be practicing Yeah, you are probably right. Maybe better for me to figure out how to more automate a reinstall which uses btrfs and disko instead. | 18:10:05 |
| K900 ⚡️ | What you're saying right now is "I'm going to practice building a campfire while being attacked by 30-50 feral hogs" | 18:10:20 |
| K900 ⚡️ | Like | 18:10:24 |
| K900 ⚡️ | Your problem isn't the campfire | 18:10:27 |
| K900 ⚡️ | If you're in that situation | 18:10:32 |
| K900 ⚡️ | You can probably figure out a campfire if you get rid of the feral hogs | 18:10:47 |
| @netpleb:matrix.org | In reply to @k900:0upti.me
What you're saying right now is "I'm going to practice building a campfire while being attacked by 30-50 feral hogs" ha, I almost did refer to it as "trial by fire" in my earlier description -- should have ;) | 18:10:58 |
| @netpleb:matrix.org | In reply to @k900:0upti.me
What you're saying right now is "I'm going to practice building a campfire while being attacked by 30-50 feral hogs" * ha, I almost did refer to it as "trial by fire" in my earlier description -- should have | 18:11:23 |
| @netpleb:matrix.org | In reply to @rvdp:infosec.exchange
If you're comfortable with kexec'ing into an image in memory, then it's doable. If you've never done that before, then I'd make sure that you're able to get to the machine in case you mess up do you have a good reference for how I might do the kexec'ing into an image in memory part? I am trying to understand how that is different than the "unmount root without reboot" link above. Will kexecing into an image possibly give me the full effect of as if I had booted into a live thumbdrive? | 18:24:57 |
