Can setup-storage be configured to preserve disk and partition UUIDs?

[Vanush Misha Paturyan]

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Hi all

Quick version of the question: can setup-storage be configured to preserve the "Disk Identifier" and "Partition UUIDs" via its `disk_config` configuration file?

Sample `disk_config` file:

# dualboot Windows + Linux, preserving Windows partitions

disk_config disk1 disklabel:gpt fstabkey:uuid

primary /boot/efi       100M:preserve_always vfat  rw
primary -         	16M:preserve_always  -    -
primary -         	292G:preserve_always -    -
primary -         	616M:preserve_always -    -
primary swap	  	16G		     swap sw
primary /	        20G-100G    	     ext4 rw,noatime,errors=remount-ro
primary /var/log	10G		     ext4 rw,noatime
primary	/var/lib/docker 300G		     xfs  rw createopts="-n ftype=1"
primary /usr/local/home 100-		     ext4 rw


Slightly longer version of the question.
I've been using FAI for years to deploy Ubuntu Linux onto PCs in our
labs, in a dual-boot setup, where Windows 11 is installed
separately. The process involves first landing the Windows (this
process creates first 4 partitions), then FAI is used to create 5 more
partitiions and land Linux there. For a long time I was using a
`partition` hook that would do all the partition (re)creation and
formatting steps, making sure to preserve first 4, generate proper
fstab and so on. This year I have finally decided to do up a proper
`disk_config` script wiith `preserve` flags only to discover that
landing FAI breaks Windows boot loader. Upon further inspection I have
noticed that `preserve` flag does not preserver UUIDs assigned to
partitiions, and also does not preserve unique disk identifier. I
suspect the Windows boot loader breaks exactly because those UUIDs
change.

I further suspect this happens because setup-storage re-creates the
partitions it suppose to preserve, meaning thet even though it doesn't
re-format them, it also doesn't preserve them in the fuller meaning of
the word (at least UUIDs and partition names change after setup-config
is done with them).

Is it possible to "trully" preserve partitions and disk identifier
within setup-storage, or should I code my own solution? (capture UUIDs
before "partition" task is executed, and reset them afterwards)?

I am using FAI version 5.8.4.

Best regards

Misha

- -- 
Vanush "Misha" Paturyan
Chief Technical Officer
Room 120
Computer Science Department
Eolas Building
Maynooth University
Maynooth


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