Zfs keylocation conf. I would like my datasets to automatically unlock on boot (I plan to only power up the NAS on demand). 0. Nice work guys! Was great to import my ZFS pools from Arch and move back to Unraid. Overview The Zettabyte File System (ZFS™) was developed by Sun Microsystems™ in 2006 to solve the data integrity and protection issues other file systems faced. Overriding encryption properties (except for Even though the encryption suite cannot be changed after dataset creation, the keylocation can be with either zfs set or zfs change-key If prompt is selected ZFS will ask for the key at the command prompt when it is required to access the encrypted data (see zfs load-key for details). Tpm2-tools changed a TON of commandline switches when they released v4. Looks like I have ZFS 2. However, if the NAS gets stolen and the thief boots the NAS I want the datasets to stay encrypted. Now to my question: if the system crashes and I want to import the zpool on another system, it won't work if I specify -L and path. Then the key could be loaded. example. key arguments to encrypt your datasets you can't use a keyformat=passphrase encryption on the cold storage device. Make sure to backup the backup, as without that file, your data is lost forever. ZFS requires root privileges so either be root or use sudo/doas/etc Creating a ZFS Pool Identifying Drives When using drives for ZFS, you need to utilize their actual drive names or WWNs. S. And I definitely didn't see the workaround with force_inherit / pyzfs. I created this so if someone stole my server they would also need the USB with the keyfiles to access the encrypted datasets. OpenZFS on WindowsThe open source port of OpenZFS on Windows Feb 16, 2025 · Comprehensive guide to setting up a fully encrypted ZFS pool with automated decryption and enhanced performance settings for 2025. The core procedure is simple: create a snapshot, transfer this snapshot, and receive it at a new, encrypted destination. 4-FreeBSD_g52bad4f23 and I would like the key to be on a remote server, for this and Encrypting ZFS File Systems Encryption is the process where data is encoded for privacy and a key is needed by the data owner to access the encoded data. zfs mount [-Oflv] [-o options] -a | -R filesystem | filesystem Mount ZFS filesystem on a path described by its mountpoint property, if the path exists and is empty. Similarly, you can receive a dataset as an encrypted child by specifying -x encryption to force the property to be inherited. Unloads a key from ZFS, removing the ability to access the dataset and all of its children that inherit the keylocation property. ZFS FileSystem > ZFS ZFS is a combined file system and logical volume manager designed by Sun Microsystems (now owned by Oracle), which is licensed as open-source software under the Common Development and Distribution License (CDDL) as part of the ? OpenSolaris project in November 2005. Note that no checking is performed by ZFS when only the key location is changed with the zfs set command, such as whether the new location has a valid wrapping key. h variables from shell?) @nabijaczleweli what do you suggest / will you fix this? Aug 3, 2021 · How to set up a secure offsite and offline backup server solution based on snapshots and ZFS native encryption. ZFS or OpenZFS is an open-source storage platform. ZFS could later shred the key when ready. Right now I have this mounting on boot in a roundabout way via adding zfs load-key and mount Jan 8, 2017 · An upcoming feature of OpenZFS (and ZFS on Linux, ZFS on FreeBSD, …) is At-Rest Encryption, a feature that allows you to securely encrypt your ZFS file systems and volumes without having to provide an extra layer of devmappers and such. But not for the mount. May 14, 2025 · I see a zfs behavior that I can't understand and hope someone can clarify it for me. But, if I remember the passphrase, I can reconstruct the keyfile. Dec 29, 2020 · Hello there! I really like the idea of having the full root-filesystem encrypted using native ZFS encryption (only). Nor did I actually try zfs change-key -i - something else did after I set correct keylocation. For a server, I don’t want to have to type something in or have a keyboard connected (or SSH, but while I had it enabled for systemd-boot, nmap shows no open port 22). This requires that the dataset is not currently open or mounted. db. The problem is, ZFS doesn’t overwrite the old wrapped key. With general instructions to setup ZFS encryption using keyfiles. Oct 12, 2021 · Looking to move off Solaris where I currently have per dataset encrypted ZFS file systems using a key file. You can use your existing storage Jan 11, 2023 · Hello, I have to create an encrypted dataset, my configuration is as follows: freebsd-version -ukr 13. Such a startup script should on system boot, after ZFS root is mounted, load the key file (s), mount the encrypted data set (s), and on shutdown, reboot umount them and unload the key (s). Aug 18, 2023 · My current zpool uses ZFS-native encryption with keylocation=file:// and keyformat=raw. Jun 2, 2024 · Hi all, I am trying to create an encrypted zfs volume that will be auto-mounted using a keyfile. ZFS-LOAD-KEY(8) System Manager's Manual ZFS-LOAD-KEY(8) NAME zfs-load-key -- load, unload, or change encryption key of ZFS dataset SYNOPSIS zfs load-key [-nr] [-L keylocation] -a | filesystem zfs unload-key [-r] -a | filesystem zfs change-key [-l] [-o keylocation = value] [-o keyformat = value] [-o pbkdf2iters = value] filesystem zfs change-key -i [-l] filesystem DESCRIPTION zfs load-key [-nr There are just some advantages of ZFS encryption which I want. When automating mounting with a keyfile, add -l (load keys) to any zpool import scripts. Contribute to openzfs/zfs development by creating an account on GitHub. To do that one can simply prepare a new key and point the pool toward it. Raw sends actually decrease CPU usage because you aren't wasting cycles decompressing and decrypted data to send over a network just to re-compress and re-encrypt on the other end. I rely on raw sends to replicate $ sudo zfs get encryption,encryptionroot,keylocation,keyformat,keystatus -r off-site-a NAME PROPERTY VALUE SOURCE off-site-a encryption aes-256-gcm - off-site-a encryptionroot off-site-a - off-site-a keylocation prompt local Dec 6, 2023 · Ubuntu 22 LTS on root created with installer has keylocation as prompt and keyformat as raw, cant unlock #15642 May 17, 2021 · Race condition in dracut-zfs (90zfs/zfs-load-key. (This isn't the first time they made changes either) I have been waiting for the TPM2-tools version to be updated in the Debian/Ubuntu repositories so I can have a stable interface, especially since Ubuntu 20. Native port of ZFS to Linux. DESCRIPTION zfs load-key [-nr] [-L keylocation] -a | filesystem Load the key for filesystem, allowing it and all children that inherit the keylocation property to be accessed. 04 with RAID and encryption. dat^^ bs=32 count=1 zfs Sep 23, 2021 · The zfs version used in Ubuntu lacks this option. 04 is going to be LTS. Sender has key /mnt/zfspass/key Receiver does not initially have ZFS-LOAD-KEY (8) System Manager's Manual ZFS-LOAD-KEY (8) NAME zfs-load-key -- load, unload, or change encryption key of ZFS dataset SYNOPSIS zfs load-key [-nr] [-L keylocation] -a | filesystem zfs unload-key [-r] -a | filesystem zfs change-key [-l] [-o keylocation = value] [-o keyformat = value] [-o pbkdf2iters = value] filesystem zfs change-key -i [-l] filesystem DESCRIPTION zfs load-key ZFS-LOAD-KEY(8) System Manager's Manual ZFS-LOAD-KEY(8) NAME zfs-load-key -- load, unload, or change encryption key of ZFS dataset SYNOPSIS zfs load-key [-nr] [-L keylocation] -a | filesystem zfs unload-key [-r] -a | filesystem zfs change-key [-l] [-o keylocation = value] [-o keyformat = value] [-o pbkdf2iters = value] filesystem zfs change-key -i [-l] filesystem DESCRIPTION zfs load-key [-nr So long as the old wrapped key is under the ZFS control for a valid reason, it’s fine. ZFS Integration and Verification The key is passed directly to the ZFS system via the keylocation property during dataset creation. I'm wondering if there's a way to adjust the parameters the Proxmox installer is using when choosing to install using ZFS so i can pass in the options for ZFS-RECEIVE (8) System Manager's Manual ZFS-RECEIVE (8) NAME zfs-receive -- create snapshot from backup stream SYNOPSIS zfs receive [-FhMnsuv] [-o origin = snapshot] [-o property = value] [-x property] filesystem | volume | snapshot zfs receive [-FhMnsuv] [-d | -e] [-o origin = snapshot] [-o property = value] [-x property] filesystem zfs receive -A filesystem | volume zfs receive -c [-vn Raw mode does not use more space. For EL6 and 7 run: yum-config-manager This is effectively equivalent to running zfs load-key filesystem; zfs change-key filesystem -o property=value Allows the user to set encryption key properties (keyformat, keylocation, and pbkdf2iters) while changing the key. Feb 21, 2025 · In order to investigate a possible Ubuntu server installation on top of (encrypted) ZFS, I decided to first do this with the desktop version. Nov 3, 2023 · zfs change-key [-il] [-o keylocation = value] [-o keyformat = value] [-o pbkdf2iters = value] filesystem Allows a user to change the encryption key used to access a dataset. Two questions. How do I do this? $ zfs get keylocation,encryption,keyformat rpool NAME Zfs key location I'm currently experimenting with zfs encrypt. I'm sure there Nov 24, 2020 · If you've used the -o keyformat=raw -o keylocation=file:///etc/zfs/keys/home. So, why is there an option in zfs (on CentOS, zfs version 0. In my opinion the FreeBSD full disk encryp See the documentation for zfs receive -s for more details. I can log into the laptop just fine, but I want to replace the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth card in it, and the TPM might get triggered when I do so. tan May 26, 2021 · A "pool" can be thought of as the array itself, or the collection of disks. There is no need for manually compile ZFS modules - all packages are included. The current ZFS encryption implementation is not (yet Dec 15, 2021 · Refer to the keyfile and keylocation descriptions in zfs-props (8) for more information on how to create a keyfile. not OpenZFS. Sep 1, 2020 · 本文是关于我在 这篇文章 中创建的加密ZFS文件系统的日常管理的技术笔记。 更换加密ZFS文件系统的密钥 上次在处理密钥的时候有几次操作不够谨慎，导致密钥在一些磁盘上留下了痕迹（忘了使用 shred 安全抹除），好在我们看到的密钥 [并不是] ()ZFS真正用来加密信息的 encryption key，而是用于管理 Jul 11, 2024 · Just installed Unraid 7. 3 is not present? DESCRIPTION zfs load-key [-nr] [-L keylocation] -a | filesystem Load the key for filesystem, allowing it and all children that inherit the keylocation property to be accessed. 04) Feb 4, 2020 · I tried to implement a system where ZFS gets the encryption key from a local HTTP server (as described in the official oracle docs) but creating it using zfs create -o encryption=on -o keylocation= Aug 23, 2022 · I chose to use a ZFS root install with encryption using the GUI options (without doing the advanced stuff). key obviously. Described as "The last word in filesystems", ZFS is stable, fast, secure, and future-proof. gz Provided by: zfsutils-linux_2. There are many ways to contribute to OpenZFS including: Sep 9, 2018 · The Z File System (ZFS) was created by Matthew Ahrens and Jeff Bonwick in 2001. If found Mar 29, 2021 · I have four encrypted zfs datasets that I need to mount by hand at the boot of my development machine using the command zfs mount -l -a. 99-13-gfddfb6ae How to encrypt data in a ZFS file system and how to manage data encryption for the file system or storage pool. Like other ZFS operations, encryption operations such as key changes and rekey are performed online. ksh file and skip those if zfs_config. com/mykey <pool/dataset> I get the errormessage: Key load error: Invalid keylocation. After Oracle™ acquired Sun, some of the original ZFS engineers founded the OpenZFS™ project to provide continued, collaborative development of the Open Source version. 2 host, nda1 geli encrypted /zroot/ - Archlinux guest in Bhyve, disk is in the /zroot/bhyve/ - Shared zfs partition at nda2p1, zfs encrypted, accessible to FreeBSD and via nfs to System information Type Version/Name Distribution Name Windows 11 Pro Distribution Version 23H2 Kernel Version 22635. At some part of the process I recorded a "recovery key" - 48 digits (i. 3. :) In Solaris 10 6/06 ("U2"), Sun added the ZFS file system and frequently updated ZFS with new features during the next 5 years. Jan 29, 2022 · The zfskeys script and other zfs rc sripts are part of FreeBSD. The system doesn't ask for a passphrase like it used to, it now drops to an initramfs prompt with: Key load error: Failed to o I created the zpool with the "-O keylocation=prompt" parameter although I also note it doesn't prompt me when I try to mount it from within a different Arch install. When a boot environment specifies a file:// URI as its keylocation, ZFSBootMenu will attempt to mount a filesystem indicated by the org. Please, if you can help me, I need to access my project stored on my hard drive. 04), you end up with something like this: NAME U questing (8) zfs-load-key. 3 to 12. Features of ZFS include: pooled storage (integrated volume management – zpool), Copy-on-write, snapshots, data integrity verification and automatic repair (scrubbing), RAID-Z, a maximum 16 exabyte file size questing (8) zfs-change-key. By default the zfs-release package is configured to install DKMS style packages so they will work with a wide range of kernels. 0 -> 9). What is a status of keylocation=https/http implementation on freebsd? P. 1): 1. zfsbootmenu:keysource as the name of a filesystem that should be searched for ZFS key files. h indicates that we don't have any fetch/libcurl. All data and file system metadata (such as ownership, access control lists, quota information, and so on) are encrypted when stored persistently in the ZFS pool. How to encrypt data in a ZFS file system and how to manage data encryption for the file system or storage pool. dd if= /dev/urandom of= ^^/usb/key. Does anyone have a working implementation using keyfiles, preferably on SD Card, instead of a prompt for ZFS? I know how to do this with linux LVM/LUKS. If using the key method, is it DESCRIPTION zfs load-key [-nr] [-L keylocation] -a | filesystem Load the key for filesystem, allowing it and all children that inherit the keylocation property to be accessed. Subsequent incremental backups track changes over time as measured against that full backup. But if I use zfs load-key -n -L https:/ /keys. Even though the encryption suite cannot be changed after dataset creation, the keylocation can be with either zfs set or zfs change-key. Is this possible? This is effectively equivalent to running zfs load-key filesystem; zfs change-key filesystem -o property = value Allows the user to set encryption key properties (keyformat, keylocation, and pbkdf2iters) while changing the key. `zfs set keylocation=none rpool` > cannot set property for 'rpool': keylocation must not be 'none' for encrypted datasets Since I can't set keylocation to none, the initramfs always fails. (Can we access zfs_config. How will this feature improve OpenZFS? It would increas Undocumented in source but is binding to C. Boot from the live USB. I installed Linux Mint on my xiaomi laptop with ZFS and encryption on the boot drive and all that, but I forgot where I saved the recovery key for the drive. Of course, this assumes that the key location is on an encrypted filesystem and you take precautions like not putting a copy of the key file into an initramfs image that any user can read out. You'll want to get in touch with whoever wrote that in case they aren't watching the issues on this repo. I snapshotted all of my datasets, created an encrypted root dataset (zroot/ENC) and used zfs send/recieve to replicate the datasets as child datasets of zroot/ENC and therefor sharing its encryption properties. Further, per-filesystem encryption has to be set up at the time the filesystem is created. Hello everyone, I was recently reading more into zfs encryption as part of building my homelab/nas and figured that zfs encryption is what fits best for my usecase. Understanding ZFS Keyfiles What are the restrictions on ZFS keyfiles? Can I use any binary? Any length or file size? Also what is the difference between raw and hex? Am I able to auto mount using a keyfile on a flash drive? Also are there pros on using a keyfile vs a long passphrase? (Time/effort to crack, etc) Thank you (using Ubuntu 20. Reason for that is simple: The desktop version of the installer contains an option to install on a root ZFS volume (guess what: the server version does not). My Why not just use zfs send natively to handle this? Assuming your existing pool/filesystem is plvl5i0, just do: zfs create -o keylocation=prompt -o keyformat=passphrase -o encryption=aes-256-gcm -o canmount=noauto newpool/oldbackup (enter key) zfs snapshot -r plvl5i0@now zfs send -R plvl5i0@now | zfs recv -euvs -x encryption newpool/oldbackup And Bob should be the brother of one of your parents. But then I wanted to automate this a bit. I can This is effectively equivalent to running zfs load-key filesystem; zfs change-key filesystem -o property = value Allows the user to set encryption key properties (keyformat, keylocation, and pbkdf2iters) while changing the key. ZFS tracks snapshot evolution the same either way. ZFSBootMenu posits a use where you keep your keys on the encrypted pool itself (so Note that -o keylocation = prompt may not be specified here, since the standard input is already being utilized for the send stream. ZFS is a combined file system and logical volume manager designed by Sun Microsystems. Note that if the keylocation is set to prompt the terminal will interactively wait for the key to be AFAIK, you can't get the keylocation attribute of a dataset without the pool being imported (because it's an attribute of the dataset, not the pool - there may be a way to do it with the zdb ZFS debugging utility but if there is, I don't know it). doas zfs get -Ho property,value encryptionroot,keystatus altroot encryptionroot altroot keystatus unavailable Tells me the key status cannot be determined. Currently, I have to unlock the pool manually by using the command # zfs load-key -a and the Nov 11, 2023 · 4. My question is: Where do I put the ZFS key file (best practice)? Also what permissions and ownership should that file have? If you have any other File systems can also be explicitly managed through legacy mount interfaces by using zfs set to set the mountpoint property to legacy. Jul 4, 2025 · To employ ZFS snapshots as part of my personal backup strategy, these local snapshots need to be copied to a remote device. You‘ll learn: How ZFS mounting works and why it matters The built-in properties that control mount May 10, 2019 · zfs_crypto_load_key () only works on encryption roots, and zfs mount -la would fail if it encounted datasets that sorted before their encroots To trigger: truncate -s 40G /tmp/test dd if=/dev/urandom of=/tmp/k bs=128 count=1 status=none zpool create -O encryption=on -O keylocation=file:///tmp/k \ -O keyformat=passphrase test /tmp/test zfs create -o mountpoint=/a test/a zfs create -o mountpoint May 9, 2022 · Hi, I came across the problem, that migration and replication does not work if the disk(s) are on a encrypted ZFS storage - which is not well documented by the way. Aug 2, 2025 · The `zfs` and `zpool` commands are the primary user-space tools for interacting with the ZFS filesystem. Sep 7, 2022 · Quick workaround: mark test as maybe failing in zts-report. This page has instructions for creating and auto-mounting an encrypted ZFS drive or partition on an existing encrypted alpine linux system, using ZFS's own encryption capabilities. To do fresh install of Alpine Linux with root partition on ZFS, see Root on ZFS Jul 4, 2021 · zfs create -o encryption=aes-256-ccm -o keyformat=passphrase -o keylocation=prompt ZT/encrypted2 A passphrase was asked for the creation. To workaround it I am using custom script to fetch and load keys from remote location. 1-RELEASE-p3 13. I wanted my key to be read of USB drive. Doing so prevents ZFS from automatically mounting and managing a file system. Encrypting ZFS File Systems Encryption is the process where data is encoded for privacy and a key is needed by the data owner to access the encoded data. ZFS_crypto_unlock A script that auto unlocks your encrypted ZFS datasets on boot. Note that if a filesystem has keylocation = prompt, this will cause the terminal to interactively block after asking for the key. Jun 23, 2021 · The keylocation is stored as a ZFS property of any dataset or zvol that uses it. Mar 7, 2021 · I have installed Ubuntu 20. Once the receive has completed, you can use zfs set to change this setting after the fact. 0) that in the Ubuntu version 0. Note that if the keylocation is set to prompt the terminal will interactively wait for the key to be Nov 5, 2021 · ZFS Commands Cheat Sheet Nov 5, 2021 Updated Aug 30, 2023 I'm currently experimenting with zfs encrypt. sh) for keylocation on USB dongle #12065 New issue Closed sxc731 For convenience, ZFSBootMenu recognizes the ZFS property org. The default keylocation value for ZFS is prompt. Any tips on how that can be done? Hi, Once Ubuntu 22. zfsbootmenu:keysource property (if it exists) and search for the named keylocation therein. Jun 2, 2025 · Efficient local or remote replication — send only changed blocks with ZFS send and receive Contributing to OpenZFS The OpenZFS project brings together developers from the Linux, FreeBSD, illumos, MacOS, and Windows platforms. But it will also have a couple hard drives that I want to setup as an encrypted ZFS mirror. Now in order to achieve what I want, I'm using zfs encryption with a passphrase but this might also apply to key-based encryption. Each pool has a dataset at its root. And it was good. You can use your existing storage It looks like something changed as far as key handling since I originally installed Ubuntu on this laptop, and now I'm trying to load a kernel that I think System76 created but supports ZFS differently? And I think ZFS itself upgraded along the way. Sep 10, 2024 · The only concern that I have for single key slot is that I could lose the key file. Jul 13, 2024 · I've tried everything I know until I'm exhausted. It cannot find any file called /mnt/zvol/system. I use the commands zfs-send (8) and zfs-receive (8) to make the first full backup from my laptop CLIENT to my home SERVER. Either restore the database from backup, or insert the row into your new database after extracting it from your backup. I've set up a Virtualbox FreeBSD 13. Mar 3, 2020 · When you choose the experimental ZFS on Linux option in the Ubuntu installation of 19. How do I unlock it at boot by entering a passphrase without having to unlock/mount it manually in the emergency shell? Dec 19, 2023 · The examples below will assume you are doing this on Linux but ZFS commands themselves are universal. You might be able to learn more by searching the web for its name. If found Protecting Data with ZFS Native Encryption By Roller Angel ZFS has native support for encrypting datasets which allows you to easily protect data with industry-standard cipher suites. Better, but more work: move https tests to separate . 4-FreeBSD_g52bad4f23 zfs-kmod-2. It propagates the same data structure as unencrypted streams, but the data blocks are encrypted. -j, --json Displays all mounted file systems in JSON format. # Get pool GUID and machine ID zpool get guid bpool cat /etc/machine-id # Create encrypted dataset using the remote location Sep 18, 2020 · zfs create -o encryption=on -o keyformat=hex -o keylocation=file:///keyfile pool/test The process of loading the key and mounting is explained above in the Password prompt method. ZFS was designed to be a next generation file system for Sun Microsystems’ OpenSolaris. I see that you can either encrypt using a HEX key or a passphrase. OpenZFS on WindowsThe open source port of OpenZFS on Windows ZFS was originally developed by Sun Microsystems for the Solaris operating system. Apr 19, 2021 · The alternate mount procedure can be simplified by importing the pool using the -R <temp_mountpoint>, which doesn't require setting and then restoring the mountpoint property. Thanks for advice. 10 on ZFS with encryption enabled and now I want to change the password used to boot my computer. Dec 16, 2021 · -o keylocation=prompt - ZFS will acquire this passphrase by asking the user when you zfs load-key. If only the key location needs to changed, for example, a filename change, then use the zfs set command with the keysource property. These datasets all have the same password and I have to type Sep 21, 2025 · Configure ZFS on Ubuntu 20. I just want to understand how each type works and the pros / cons of each method. Learn commands and zpools setup for optimal storage solutions. According to online information this should be possible Anybody with privileges necessary to read the password file already has permissions to change the key anyway, so you aren't really sacrificing any security. The default mounting behavior is great out of the box, but savvy Linux admins need more control. If mountpoint is set to legacy, the filesystem should be instead mounted using mount (8). It includes the functionality of both traditional file systems and volume manager. Consider delegating separate permissions for key use (load or unload) and key change, which allows you to have a two-person key operation model. I'd like the encrypted ZFS pool/volume to auto-mount at boot. 1-1ubuntu1_amd64 NAME zfs-load-key — load, unload, or change encryption key of ZFS dataset SYNOPSIS zfs load-key [-nr] [-L keylocation] -a | filesystem zfs unload-key [-r] -a | filesystem zfs change-key [-l] [-o keylocation = value] [-o keyformat = value] [-o pbkdf2iters = value] filesystem zfs change-key -i [-l] filesystem Hi! I wanted to suggest to enable also the HTTP backend for the ZFS keylocation. This is the only way to alter keyformat and pbkdf2iters after the dataset has been created. Or maybe I should just backup all my files to a large USB drive? Jul 13, 2024 · This is relatively easy to fix, it's happening too frequently: Use another computer to create a live USB stick with a Linux distribution. In the case of the pool's root filesystem, this means that encryption of the root filesystem must be set at the time the pool is created. OpenZFS on Linux / Produced at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory ZFS ZFS is an advanced filesystem, originally developed and released by Sun Microsystems in 2005. Letting the filesystem inherit the encryption settings from the parent by doing zfs change-key -i then also worked. I set the keylocation to prompt and then edited the Z Pool using a live Its in the /data/freenas-v1. You need to set it to file://<absolute path> manually to use a file. So the key stays on disk, potentially permanently. Install with zfs (RAID0 for Apr 18, 2020 · The solution for me was to explicitly set the key location to the key file with zfs set keylocation=. zfs load-key -L isn't working as expected. mount units and transparently unlock and mount the entire pool during boot. However, as I currently couldn't find any complete writeup on on this topic, here's what worked for me (with and without Secureboot on PVE 8. -S, --saved This flag requires that the specified filesystem previously received a resumable send that did not finish and was interrupted. Legacy tools including the mount and umount commands, and the /etc/vfstab file must be used instead. Nov 13, 2023 · Encrypting previously unencrypted data, such as a legacy ZFS pool, requires a reliable migration strategy. The config matches my laptop (prompt) where ZFS does not automount, and uses mount -t zfs -o zfsutil which nixos-install picks up for Jun 6, 2022 · Steps to Move Encrypted Dataset with All Snapshots create a recursive snapshot (so we can transfer all snapshots): zfs snap -r tank/archive@move-dataset send snapshot: zfs send -Rw tank/archive@move-dataset | zfs recv -Fuv tank2/archive verify/check received snapshots: zfs list -t snapshot tank2/archive verify/check keys (if keylocation is blank set it accordningly): zfs get encryption Oct 6, 2025 · Describe the feature you would like to see added to OpenZFS It would be good if keylocation could use TFTP (or any protocol offered by curl). To give you a brief overview of what the feature can do, I thought I’d write a short post about it. By default, you will never be prompted for a passphrase if you specify a file:// key location. 0-U6 and am migrating the data to the new ZFS encryption scheme. 1. My example, 2 hosts (sender and receiver). The command I used: sudo zfs load-key rpool/ROOT/ubuntu_uy913x An May 15, 2021 · If you want ZFS native encrypted data sets mounted automatically on system boot there isn't a service which comes with the base system to enable in rc. This allows automatic mounting of encrypted datasets and zvols when that location is a file rather than an ZFS Troubleshooting If you find yourself in need of troubleshooting why an encrypted zfs volume won't load, here are some tips: Check if the key is available: zfs get keystatus aiml If its unavailable / unusable you'll see something like this: NAME PROPERTY VALUE SOURCE bgdsk keystatus unavailable - Check where the keyfile is configured on the volume zfs get encryption,keyformat,keylocation Dec 6, 2020 · Changing ZFS Key Location 2020-12-06 Linux ZFS Back when I was creating my original pool, I decided to use password prompt as my encryption key unlocking method. Oracle Solaris 11 adds transparent data encryption functionality to ZFS. 0 in September. Starting with Proxmox VE 3. ZFS deletes the key from the pool (so it doesn’t intend to use it), and passes it to the disk firmware, which is no longer under ZFS control. Mar 12, 2024 · But after I poked around (and failed to fix anything) with zfs inherit and zfs set, it actually fixed itself and even encryptionroot was reset. Dec 19, 2023 · ZFS allows you to set disk space quotas on datasets which limits how much space a Dataset can use total or limit how much a Dataset can use in Data and ZFS overheads like snapshots and metadata, or even specific Users or Groups that can use that Dataset filesystem. 04 LTS with encrypted ZFS that won't boot. 2. ZFS was ported to Linux, Mac OS X (continued as MacZFS), and FreeBSD, under this open source license. So I started up virt-manager and installed Ubuntu 24. tank. The source code for ZFS was released under the CDDL as part of the OpenSolaris operating system and was subsequently ported to other platforms. I have an encrypted ZFS dataset called backups with the key located on the USB key. 4, the native Linux kernel port of the ZFS file system is introduced as optional file system and also as an additional selection for the root file system. Enter in your desired passphrase and you’ve created the encrypted subtree. Changing a file system key by using the zfs key –c and zfs key –K commands require the keychange permission. I've managed to get the key on an nfs share and it loads when booting. Keep in mind that the kABI-tracking kmods are only verified to work with the distribution-provided, non-Stream kernel. Then, zfs-mount-generator takes care to generate . Hi all, I was wondering if it is possible to change the encryption key location for truenas core to another drive on the network. Note that if the keylocation is set to prompt the terminal will interactively wait for the key to be OpenZFS on Linux and FreeBSD. DESCRIPTION zfs mount [-j] Displays all ZFS file systems currently mounted. This is equivalent to executing zfs load-key on each encryption root before mounting it. I'd also suggest to suggest zfs mount -a as a shortcut to mount everything (Ubuntu for example, uses many datasets, so it's tedious to mount them one by one). Native ZFS encryption does not encrypt pools, it only encrypts filesystems. If the key is found at the expected location within the keysource mount, copy the key to the actual keylocation expected by the root filesystem within the ZFSBootMenu root (which resides in RAM). Open a terminal in the live session and import the ZFS pool without mounting it: sudo zpool import -N rpool Load the encryption key: sudo zfs load-key -a If you need to specify the dataset explicitly, try: sudo zfs load-key rpool sudo For convenience, ZFSBootMenu recognizes the ZFS property org. Specifically in the storage_encrypteddataset table. -l Load keys for encrypted filesystems as they are being mounted. Oct 27, 2021 · I'm migrating from TrueNAS Core 11. If you set a key file on an encryption root, ZFS will insist that be used, even if the key format is "passphrase". zfs encryption - where is the key stored? Hello everyone, I was recently reading more into zfs encryption as part of building my homelab/nas and figured that zfs encryption is what fits best for my usecase. 10 (and also 20. 0 to unlock an encrypted zfs pool with native encryption? If not, what's the best alternative solution? Thanks Edit: or, if i use a regular password, can i decrypt it with my fingerprint sensor? May 2, 2025 · zfs change-key -o keylocation=prompt <Dataset> → requires me to perform a key rotation which would bring the dataset out of sync with the source so it’s not an option. The problem arose since the ZFS export function in pve-storage use the -R option of zfs send and this option does not work with Aug 28, 2024 · doas zfs load-key -r -L prompt altroot Key load error: Cannot enter raw keys on the terminal 0 / 1 key(s) successfully loaded -L prompt is what is supposed to let me do this. You've not provided a keylocation option, which means that it'll probably be inherited from the parent dataset, and in this situation it should prompt you what does zfs get -r keylocation Backup Look at the keylocation property of the root filesystem we are trying to mount to figure out where ZFS expects to find the key. OpenZFS is supported by a wide range of companies. 04 desktop on a virtual machine . But now I want to change the document dataset to keylocation prompt and I wonder which structure would be best. System overview: - FreeBSD 14. zfs. py. Try the rc (8) script down below. We also need to check for the sector sizes these drives Apr 8, 2023 · pihole sudo zfs load-key -L file:///path/to/. This is less interesting for a desktop or notebook, but if the network can be controlled you can for example protect Nov 15, 2023 · One key area many users struggle with is customizing mount points for ZFS pools and filesystems. e. 1-1ubuntu1_amd64 NAME zfs-load-key — load, unload, or change encryption key of ZFS dataset SYNOPSIS zfs load-key [-nr] [-L keylocation] -a | filesystem zfs unload-key [-r] -a | filesystem zfs change-key [-l] [-o keylocation = value] [-o keyformat = value] [-o pbkdf2iters = value] filesystem zfs change-key -i [-l] filesystem Jun 4, 2020 · Encrypted filesystem cannot be mounted without putting the key inthe same location as on the sender. A "dataset" is an independent box / filesystem on that pool, and can be hierarchical. The major benefit to encrypting a dataset on a disk vs full-disk encryption of the disk is that a dataset can be unmounted when not in use, while full-disk encryption requires the disk to be powered down to get Sep 2, 2023 · I was wondering if it's possible to automatically decrypt and mount a ZFS pool and its datasets at boot. The most robust way to achieve this is by using the powerful ZFS data stream mechanism: zfs send and zfs recv. zfs share [-l] -a | filesystem Shares available ZFS file systems. You can, however, force a temporary "prompt" location when loading a key to be allowed to type it in. For more information about legacy mounts, see Legacy Mount Points. -O I've done this with tpm2-tools and additions to the zfs initramfs script. You cannot set the keylocation for encryption to prompt because the stdin is occupied by the ZFS send stream; you should set it to a key file, and then you can change it to a passphrase via prompt afterwards if you wish. ZFS-LOAD-KEY (8) System Manager's Manual ZFS-LOAD-KEY (8) NAME zfs-load-key -- load, unload, or change encryption key of ZFS dataset SYNOPSIS zfs load-key [-nr] [-L keylocation] -a | filesystem zfs unload-key [-r] -a | filesystem zfs change-key [-l] [-o keylocation = value] [-o keyformat = value] [-o pbkdf2iters = value] filesystem zfs change-key -i [-l] filesystem DESCRIPTION zfs load-key Mar 17, 2023 · I have a working system with keylocation=prompt, but prompt has some obvious limitations. Receiver in the logs below is called superberry. Creating the Encrypted Dataset The ZFS system automatically fetches the key when needed. 3212 Architecture x64 OpenZFS Version OpenZFSOnWindows-debug-2. 04 drops, I plan on setting up a system with encrypted root (EXT4, NVMe). 0 system to have a play, setup is a follows: ada0 - zfs boot disk and root ada1 & ada2 - mirrored zpool called testpool I set up an encrypted dataset May 18, 2025 · I have an laptop running 22. In this comprehensive 2500+ word guide, we‘ll unlock the full potential of ZFS mounting on Linux. In order to install the kABI-tracking kmods the default repository must be switched from zfs to zfs-kmod. 0 now. 8. These commands serve as the interface layer between users and the ZFS kernel modules, translati Can I use my tpm2. So to create a new pool with an encrypted root filesystem in a similar fashion to that of Mar 11, 2022 · Hello I've just been checking out the latest release of Proxmox and seen the options for installing with ZFS which is brilliant to see. The benefits of using ZFS encryption are as follows: ZFS encryption is integrated with the ZFS command set. zfs send [-Pnv] [-i snapshot | bookmark] -S filesystem Generate a send stream from a dataset that has been partially received. 1-RELEASE-p5 zfs version zfs-2. Is there a way to do this or does the pool always have to be unlocked first, which doesn't make ZFS is an advanced filesystem, originally developed and released by Sun Microsystems in 2005. 0 beta 1. The key will be expected in the format specified by the keyformat and location specified by the keylocation property. OpenZFS on Windows port - old repo, use `OpenZFS` repo - openzfsonwindows/ZFSin Are you simply performing a zfs load-key -a; zfs mount -a after local file systems have been mounted (perhaps via a new systemd service)? Or did you change the dependency ordering so that local file systems are mounted before ZFS (and if you did that, were there any side effects)? The problem is, now I can't set keylocation back to none. Nov 11, 2025 · ZFS (Zettabyte File System) is a powerful file system and volume manager designed to simplify data management while providing high reliability, scalability, and performance. Either leave it that way and just re-create a dataset tank/encrypted/documents with changed keylocation. key tank/encrypted/vms/arch-sandbox pihole sudo zfs change-key -o keylocation=file:///path/to/. If prompt is selected, ZFS will expect the key to be provided when it is required to access the encrypted data (see zfs load-key for details). Once the key is loaded I can also change the path.