Cannot boot after successful 2.7.2 install - EFI partition problem?
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Server: Dell PowerEdge R630 (latest 2.18.1 BIOS)
pfSense CE 2.7.2The BIOS is set to UEFI mode with Secure Boot disabled. I am able to install pfSense successfully but upon reboot these messages appear:
Booting from Integrated RAID Controller 1: FreeBSD
Boot Failed: Integrated RAID Controller 1: FreeBSDI have tried installing using the "pfSense-CE-memstick-2.7.2-RELEASE-amd64.img" file flashed to a USB stick using Rufus. I have also tried installing using the "pfSense-CE-2.7.2-RELEASE-amd64.iso" file mounted using iDRAC Virtual Media. Both give the same result.
I have tried setting the installation partition scheme to GPT (UEFI) as well as GPT (BIOS).
I notice that the installation does create a 260MiB FAT16 partition for EFI and it contains the expected files. Attempting to boot from the .efi file by selecting it with the BIOS boot from file option also doesn't work.
Encryption is selected as an installation option and when booting from the USB stick after a successful installation it asks for the GELI passphrase and the passphrase chosen during installation works. But then the installer can't access the drives (giving a "Device busy" message) so the partitions must be manually removed using another boot disk before trying another install.
It seems like the installation is somehow creating an unbootable EFI partition. What can I do to diagnose further? Here's the options chosen during installation:
Auto (ZFS)
Pool Type/Disks: mirror: 2 disks (mfisyspd0, mfisyspd1)
Pool Name: pfSense
Force 4K Sectors?: YES
Encrypt Disks?: YES
Partition Scheme: GPT (UEFI)
Swap Size: 0
Mirror Swap?: NO
Encrypt Swap?: YESDialog: There are multiple "pfSense" EFI boot entries. Would you like to remove them all and add a new one?: YES
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Hmm, seems like you're installing a ZFS mirror onto hardware mirrored drives.
I would try removing/disabling the hardware raid controller, set it to AHCI mode and just using a ZFS mirror.
Steve
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@stephenw10 Thanks for the suggestion. The controller (PERC H730P) was in HBA mode. I tried changing it to RAID mode (without an array configured) but the result was the same. HBA mode seems like it should be presenting the drives without RAID involvement. I don't see an AHCI option for the controller.
Could it be that the PERC H730P is incompatible with pfSense?
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Well it's seeing it as the mfi device. I have no idea how it handles that as just passing the drives. Which is presumably why it shows as two mfisys devices.
In raid mode does the installer just show just one device?
If you can disable the raid controller entirely that's least likely to give issues.
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@stephenw10 In both HBA and RAID modes the drives show as two devices (both with the names mfisyspd0 and mfisyspd1). I'll see if it's possible to disable the RAID controller while still having the drives connected to it.
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@stephenw10 I tried setting the Integrated RAID Controller to Disabled in the BIOS but the pfSense installer then gives the error "No disk(s) present to configure".
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Hmm, you might need to connect the drives directly. If that's possible.
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@stephenw10 No, the drives are SAS 12Gb/s so they need to connect to the backplane which connects to a controller. Is there a known working controller that's compatible with a PowerEdge R630 that I could try?
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Hmm, I would have expected that to work in some mode. Maybe it has a different controller firmware?
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@stephenw10 No, it was updated to the latest controller firmware (25.5.9.0001) from the Dell website.
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Cloud it be that this bug has popped up again?
https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=230557 -
@mvikman said in Cannot boot after successful 2.7.2 install - EFI partition problem?:
https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=230557
Doesn't seem exactly the same as that. There's no panic here.
Do you have a full boot log we can check?
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@mvikman said in Cannot boot after successful 2.7.2 install - EFI partition problem?:
https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=230557
I think it looks quite possible that it's this bug, even though it's closed. There is two drives (not one in RAID 0) so the panic isn't expected. I'll get the installer boot log and send it to you and @stephenw10 in case it helps. Is there a way to try this
hw.mfi.mrsas_enable="1"option with the pfSense installer? -
@User6buinf43 said in Cannot boot after successful 2.7.2 install - EFI partition problem?:
Is there a way to try this hw.mfi.mrsas_enable="1" option with the pfSense installer?
I was able to set this option by choosing "3. Escape to loader prompt" and using these commands:
set hw.mfi.mrsas_enable="1"
bootThe drives then showed up as da0 and da1 with the manufacturer/model displayed instead of just mfisyspd. Installation worked and it boots!
Still trying to find a way to get a boot log from the installer.
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Nice! You can add that permanently as loader variable:
https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/config/advanced-tunables.html#managing-loader-tunables -
Thanks @stephenw10 and @mvikman!
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@stephenw10 said in Cannot boot after successful 2.7.2 install - EFI partition problem?:
Hmm, seems like you're installing a ZFS mirror onto hardware mirrored drives.
Steve
From my knowledge, choosing “ZFS mirror” option in installer on hardware RAID0, RAID1 or RAID10 enabled on RAID controller - is not the source of any problem: installation proceed and FreeBSD+pfSense installed and working successfully.
I confirm this more than … may be 70+ times. -
@User6buinf43 said in Cannot boot after successful 2.7.2 install - EFI partition problem?:
@stephenw10 Thanks for the suggestion. The controller (PERC H730P) was in HBA mode. I tried changing it to RAID mode (without an array configured) but the result was the same. HBA mode seems like it should be presenting the drives without RAID involvement.
Because RAID or HBA controller’s mode is not the source of problem.
I don't see an AHCI option for the controller.
This setting ALVAYS are in BIOS/UEFI, neither in RAID controller’s side.
Could it be that the PERC H730P is incompatible with pfSense?
Definitely NO! H7XX and up totally compatible with FreeBSD 13 and up (and of coarse pfSense at the top of them).
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@User6buinf43 said in Cannot boot after successful 2.7.2 install - EFI partition problem?:
@stephenw10 No, the drives are SAS 12Gb/s so they need to connect to the backplane which connects to a controller. Is there a known working controller that's compatible with a PowerEdge R630 that I could try?
Better to replace it on “TRUE HBA” controller, like LSI reflashed to IT-mode, when You make hardware upgrade next time.
Better to read TrueNAS user forum how to choosing right controller’s card exactly for Your server and HOW TO AVOID FAKES.Because TrueNAS like pfSense also are on the top if FreeBSD, all suggestions are more than relevant.
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@User6buinf43 said in Cannot boot after successful 2.7.2 install - EFI partition problem?:
@stephenw10 I tried setting the Integrated RAID Controller to Disabled in the BIOS but the pfSense installer then gives the error "No disk(s) present to configure".
Exactly! Because motherboard’s BIOS/UEFI knows just nothing behind the RAID controller!
