How do I install the Ubuntu Zfs Mirror Install skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add soulmachine/ubuntu-zfs-mirror-install in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Ubuntu Zfs Mirror Install safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Ubuntu Zfs Mirror Install?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Ubuntu Zfs Mirror Install free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Ubuntu Zfs Mirror Install?

soulmachine (@soulmachine) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Ubuntu Zfs Mirror Install by soulmachine

Name: Ubuntu Zfs Mirror Install
Author: soulmachine

Ubuntu Zfs Mirror Install

Install Ubuntu Server onto a 2-disk ZFS mirror root (rpool→/) plus a striped data pool (dpool→/data) via debootstrap + ZFSBootMenu, or fall back to a plain single-disk ext4 install (GRUB-EFI) when there aren't two equal-size disks. Use when asked to install Ubuntu on ZFS, build a ZFS mirror root / rpool+dpool layout, set up root-on-ZFS with ZFSBootMenu, or do a scripted Ubuntu Server install on a UEFI x86 server with one or two SSDs/NVMes.

soulmachine Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Ubuntu ZFS-mirror (or ext4) Server Install

Validated end-to-end (proven on an 8-GPU ASUS ESC8000-E12P). Every fix that makes the ZFS path boot hands-free and reboot-safe is baked into the scripts — see REFERENCE.md for what they are and how to recover if something's off.

Decision rule (choose the path from the disks)

Exactly two fixed disks of the SAME size → ZFS mirror (scripts/install.sh): per disk ESP | rpool-member | dpool-member; rpool mirror → /, dpool stripe → /data (no redundancy).
One disk, or two disks of different sizes → plain ext4 single-disk (scripts/install-ext4.sh): ESP | ext4 root, GRUB-EFI. (install.sh refuses unequal/single disks and points here.)

Prerequisites

Target booted into an Ubuntu Server LIVE environment (24.04+/26.04), UEFI mode (CSM off).
A root shell on it (local console, or SSH — enable ssh + set a password in the live env).
Internet reachable from the live env (debootstrap + ZFSBootMenu download).
Copy scripts/ to the target (e.g. scp -r scripts root@<live-ip>:).

Workflow

List disks: sudo bash scripts/install.sh --list — shows fixed disks with by-id paths + sizes; the live/USB medium is marked [LIVE MEDIUM, do NOT pick].

Gather settings from the user (ask; defaults in parens):

Setting	Notes
disk(s)	by-id path(s); count+size decides ZFS vs ext4
rpool size (ZFS only)	128 / 256 / 512 / 1024 GB → `RPOOL_SIZE=+128G/+256G/+512G/+1T` (default `+1T`)
admin username	default `developer`
admin password	default `passw0rd` (root gets the same)
SSH public key	optional; if set, admin is key-only (password auth off)
hostname	default `ubuntu`
timezone	optional (default `Etc/UTC`)

Run the matching installer (type ERASE when prompted, or pass --yes once the user has confirmed):

# ZFS mirror (two equal disks):
DISK1=<by-id> DISK2=<by-id> RPOOL_SIZE=+1T ADMIN_USER=developer INSTALL_PASSWORD='...' \
  SSH_AUTHORIZED_KEY='ssh-ed25519 ...' HOSTNAME=ubuntu sudo -E bash scripts/install.sh
# ext4 single disk:
DISK1=<by-id> ADMIN_USER=developer INSTALL_PASSWORD='...' HOSTNAME=ubuntu sudo -E bash scripts/install-ext4.sh

Takes ~10–20 min (debootstrap dominates). Over a flaky SSH link, run detached and tail the log: … nohup bash scripts/install.sh --yes >/root/install.log 2>&1 & then tail -f /root/install.log.

Reboot — remove the install media (or set the target disk first in UEFI boot order). It should boot ZFSBootMenu → Ubuntu (or GRUB → Ubuntu) hands-free, with / and /data (ZFS) mounted.
Validate: sudo bash scripts/validate.sh — expect pools//data ONLINE (ZFS) or / ext4, and systemctl is-system-running = running, 0 failed units.

Safety

Destructive. The installers refuse a disk that has mounted partitions (the live medium) and require typing ERASE (skip only with --yes after the user explicitly confirms the disks).
Single-NVMe failure on the ZFS layout: rpool stays bootable (degraded), dpool//data is lost (no redundancy by design).
ZFS path has no GRUB — the kernel cmdline lives in the org.zfsbootmenu:commandline ZFS property (it's set to quiet zfs_force=1; keep zfs_force=1 if you append e.g. intel_iommu=on iommu=pt).

See REFERENCE.md for the baked-in fixes, recovery steps, and hardware notes (incl. ASUS ESC8000 BMC quirks).

---name: ubuntu-zfs-mirror-installdescription: Install Ubuntu Server onto a 2-disk ZFS mirror root (rpool→/) plus a striped data pool (dpool→/data) via debootstrap + ZFSBootMenu, or fall back to a plain single-disk ext4 install (GRUB-EFI) when there aren't two equal-size disks. Use when asked to install Ubuntu on ZFS, build a ZFS mirror root / rpool+dpool layout, set up root-on-ZFS with ZFSBootMenu, or do a scripted Ubuntu Server install on a UEFI x86 server with one or two SSDs/NVMes.---# Ubuntu ZFS-mirror (or ext4) Server InstallValidated end-to-end (proven on an 8-GPU ASUS ESC8000-E12P). Every fix that makes the ZFS pathboot **hands-free and reboot-safe** is baked into the scripts — see [REFERENCE.md](REFERENCE.md)for what they are and how to recover if something's off.## Decision rule (choose the path from the disks)- **Exactly two fixed disks of the SAME size → ZFS mirror** (`scripts/install.sh`): per disk `ESP | rpool-member | dpool-member`; `rpool` mirror → `/`, `dpool` stripe → `/data` (no redundancy).- **One disk, or two disks of different sizes → plain ext4 single-disk** (`scripts/install-ext4.sh`): `ESP | ext4 root`, GRUB-EFI. (`install.sh` refuses unequal/single disks and points here.)## Prerequisites- Target booted into an **Ubuntu Server LIVE** environment (24.04+/26.04), **UEFI** mode (CSM off).- A **root shell** on it (local console, or SSH — enable `ssh` + set a password in the live env).- **Internet** reachable from the live env (debootstrap + ZFSBootMenu download).- Copy `scripts/` to the target (e.g. `scp -r scripts root@<live-ip>:`).## Workflow1. **List disks:** `sudo bash scripts/install.sh --list` — shows fixed disks with by-id paths + sizes; the live/USB medium is marked `[LIVE MEDIUM, do NOT pick]`.2. **Gather settings from the user** (ask; defaults in parens): | Setting | Notes | |---|---| | disk(s) | by-id path(s); count+size decides ZFS vs ext4 | | rpool size *(ZFS only)* | **128 / 256 / 512 / 1024 GB** → `RPOOL_SIZE=+128G/+256G/+512G/+1T` (default `+1T`) | | admin username | default **`developer`** | | admin password | default **`passw0rd`** (root gets the same) | | SSH public key | optional; if set, admin is key-only (password auth off) | | hostname | default **`ubuntu`** | | timezone | optional (default `Etc/UTC`) |3. **Run the matching installer** (type `ERASE` when prompted, or pass `--yes` once the user has confirmed): ```bash # ZFS mirror (two equal disks): DISK1=<by-id> DISK2=<by-id> RPOOL_SIZE=+1T ADMIN_USER=developer INSTALL_PASSWORD='...' \ SSH_AUTHORIZED_KEY='ssh-ed25519 ...' HOSTNAME=ubuntu sudo -E bash scripts/install.sh # ext4 single disk: DISK1=<by-id> ADMIN_USER=developer INSTALL_PASSWORD='...' HOSTNAME=ubuntu sudo -E bash scripts/install-ext4.sh ``` Takes ~10–20 min (debootstrap dominates). Over a flaky SSH link, run **detached** and tail the log: `… nohup bash scripts/install.sh --yes >/root/install.log 2>&1 & ` then `tail -f /root/install.log`.4. **Reboot** — remove the install media (or set the target disk first in UEFI boot order). It should boot ZFSBootMenu → Ubuntu (or GRUB → Ubuntu) **hands-free**, with `/` and `/data` (ZFS) mounted.5. **Validate:** `sudo bash scripts/validate.sh` — expect pools/`/data` ONLINE (ZFS) or `/` ext4, and `systemctl is-system-running` = `running`, 0 failed units.## Safety- **Destructive.** The installers refuse a disk that has mounted partitions (the live medium) and require typing `ERASE` (skip only with `--yes` after the user explicitly confirms the disks).- Single-NVMe failure on the ZFS layout: `rpool` stays bootable (degraded), **`dpool`/`/data` is lost** (no redundancy by design).- ZFS path has **no GRUB** — the kernel cmdline lives in the `org.zfsbootmenu:commandline` ZFS property (it's set to `quiet zfs_force=1`; keep `zfs_force=1` if you append e.g. `intel_iommu=on iommu=pt`).See [REFERENCE.md](REFERENCE.md) for the baked-in fixes, recovery steps, and hardware notes (incl. ASUS ESC8000 BMC quirks).

Frequently asked questions