Will not boot after shutdown, Grub Rescue Error: compression algorithm inherit not supported

[Sethbest]

I've had this server setup for over a year now. It's RAIDZ2, so pretty hyper redundant. Standard USB 4GB drive holding the config.

I keep it plugged into a UPS to prevent sudden shutdowns. I recently upgraded to the newest version, after which everything booted successfully.

Yesterday I was working on some electrical stuff in the house so i shutdown the server from the webGUI. Later that night when everything settled I turned it back on and my share wasn't coming up. The system boots straight into GRUB recovery with the following error-

error: compression algorithm inherit not supported

etnering rescue mode...
Grub rescue>


I've rebooted since the upgrade (i think it was 9.3) but never a full shutdown, so I don't know if that's part of it. I've got a backup of the config, but it's from the older version so I'm not sure if it will jibe with the RAIDZ2 volume.

I have a data backup, but it's not complete so I'd really like to get my volume back up.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[dlavigne]

Sounds like the stick died. Reinstall the same version of the OS on a different USB stick and upload your saved config.

 

[Sethbest]

Same version of OS that the backup was from or the same version that it was running most recently?

 

[Ericloewe]

Same as backup or later.

 

[Sethbest]

Ok, thanks for the advice.

So to be clear: i'm making an install USB (my server doesn't have a cd drive) for freenas 9.2.1.8 since that's the one I have the backup from. I'll boot my server to this install and have it install to a second new USB stick. Once done i'll login to the webGUI and upload the .db file with the "upload config" option.

Thanks.

 

[Ericloewe]

9.2.1.8? Phew... You might as well try to grab one of the backups from the .system dataset. Search the forum for the details of where to find them.

 

[Sethbest]

Ericloewe... Can you expound?

Searching for: ".system" dataset, .system dataset, backup from .system, backup from .system dataset
I'm really not finding anything pertinent.

Can you explain why the 9.2.1.8 config from when I originally setup the system would not work? Can you tell me what the .system dataset is? Or just a link to a post of someone doing something similar would be appreciated.

 

[Ericloewe]

Can you explain why the 9.2.1.8 config from when I originally setup the system would not work?

I'm not saying it won't. I'm saying it would probably be less traumatic to use a more recent backup.

Or just a link to a post of someone doing something similar would be appreciated.

I don't have a link (I'd need a database just to keep links to every interesting topic on this forum), but searching for "FreeNAS system dataset config file backup" should help.
Consider this a chance to exercise your google-fu (or Bing-Fu, if you're a masochist or eternal dreamer who hopes to be able to avoid google some day).

 

[Sethbest]

I found this one using your search terms- https://headcrash.industries/reference/recovering-freenas-configuration-from-zfs-boot-drive/

Looks promising. Thanks Ericloewe.

I'm a google-fu master but I'm continually flummoxed by FreeNAS related stuff, probably because I the terminology is all so foreign to me (Windows system admin). All I ever seem to find are posts where the response is "read the manual".

 

[Sethbest]

I'm having trouble cloning the USB drive to a good one to work on it without affecting the original. I'm using Win32 Disk Imager, but since windows won't give the ZFS disk a drive letter (errors out when I try from disk manager) the tool won't see it to copy from. Oh well. I might still try the steps just with the original drive and take my chances of it failing completely while I'm working on it.

In the meantime my config loaded and made my data volume accessible, so I can at least finish my backups.

Thanks for the help so far.

 

[Ericloewe]

I found this one using your search terms- https://headcrash.industries/reference/recovering-freenas-configuration-from-zfs-boot-drive/

Looks promising. Thanks Ericloewe.

I'm a google-fu master but I'm continually flummoxed by FreeNAS related stuff, probably because I the terminology is all so foreign to me (Windows system admin). All I ever seem to find are posts where the response is "read the manual".

No, that's not it. FreeNAS keeps a few copies on the system dataset, which, in most cases, is on the main pool.