What am I missing? Migrating SG-1100 to USB storage
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Following the instructions on this post:
linkto boot my (now backup) SG-1100 to USB storage, instead of using the eMMC which has failed.
I followed all of the steps, everything seemed to work correctly. I installed 24.11 on the USB stick (Samsung FIT). It went through the install fully, no errors, and confirmed the installation of 24.11.
However, running 'run usbboot' at the (halted) boot (at the Marvell prompt), it brings up 24.03 from eMMC and shortly thereafter fails.
I even reconfigured the bootenv to only boot from the USB stick. It seemed to boot from the USB stick (reports finding da1).
I tried rebooting with the USB stick in the rightside USB jack and again in the leftmost USB jack.
No matter what, it always starts 24.03. The boot environment setting doesn't even show 24.11 as being an option.
I went through the install process twice with the same results. What am I missing or doing wrong?
Edit: attached log file. Log file.zip
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@NGUSER6947 try https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/troubleshooting/multiple-disks.html
Or “run usbrecovery” per https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/solutions/sg-1100/reinstall-pfsense.html#boot-the-installation-media
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@SteveITS Run the usbrecovery, which wipes out the eMMC, then go through the install process again? Or does it wipe the USB stick?
"If the device still does not boot the installer, or the installer fails, use run usbrecovery instead which will wipe the drive before starting the installer."
Here's how the USB stick is currently partitioned:
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@NGUSER6947 It sounded like your issue was the device was still booting from the eMMC, so I'd erase that. I don't think you'd need to install again.
Note per https://forum.netgate.com/topic/196372/migrating-netgate-1100-from-emmc-to-usb-flash-storage-to-keep-it-fit/2 it was recommended to use UFS not ZFS, though (ZFS is the default). Not that it won't work, of course, and per other posts it sounds like Netgate is making some changes to reduce ZFS disk writes anyway. (ah...will be in 25.03: https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/releases/25-03.html#operating-system)
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@SteveITS ok, so run usbrecovery to erase the eMMC then reboot using the USB stick. I'll give that a go.
No change. Here's the eMMC erase:
Hit any key to stop autoboot: 2 0
Marvell>> run usb usbrecovery
switch to partitions #0, OK
mmc1(part 0) is current deviceMMC erase: dev # 1, block # 0, count 4194304 ... 4194304 blocks erased: OK
Inserted USB stick, ran 'run usbboot'. It appears to have mounted the USB stick:
Release APs...Trying to mount root from zfs:pfSense/ROOT/default []...
done
TCP_ratelimit: Is now initialized
uhub0: 1 port with 1 removable, self powered
Root mount waiting for: usbus1
Root mount waiting for: usbus1
ugen1.2: <Samsung Flash Drive FIT> at usbus1
umass0 on uhub0
umass0: <Samsung Flash Drive FIT, class 0/0, rev 2.10/11.00, addr 2> on usbus1
da0 at umass-sim0 bus 0 scbus0 target 0 lun 0
da0: <Samsung Flash Drive FIT 1100> Removable Direct Access SPC-4 SCSI device
da0: Serial Number 0359625040000919
da0: 40.000MB/s transfers
da0: 122376MB (250626566 512 byte sectors)
da0: quirks=0x2<NO_6_BYTE>
Warning: no time-of-day clock registered, system time will not be set accurately
Dual Console: Serial Primary, Video Secondary
rc.bootonce_verify: ZFS support is required.
Configuring crash dumps...
No suitable dump device was found.
Filesystems are clean, continuing...
Mounting filesystems...
Mounting ZFS boot environment...done.Still comes up to 24.03:
___ __ / |__ ___ _ __ ___ ___ _
| '_ | |/ _|/ _ \ ' / __|/ _ \ | |
| |) | _ \ / | | _ \ / | _|
| ./|| |/_|| ||/_| ||
|_|Welcome to Netgate pfSense Plus 24.03-RELEASE (Patch 1)...
I don't get it.
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It's probably because the eMMC has failed to read-only and that means it has a zfs zpool named 'pfSense' on it that can't be erased. And that means that if you install to USB as ZFS using a zpool named pfSense it will conflict and may mount root from eMMC instead of USB.
So either install to USB as UFS (I recommend that) or rename the zpool in ZFS.
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@stephenw10 Well, I went to reinstall using UFS. Plugged the install USB drive into the left side port and the target USB drive into the right port and issued the 'run usbboot' command. However, it rebooted onto the USB stick and brought up 24.11 normally. I watched it from the dashboard for a while. All seemed good, however I could only get to the web configurator not any external websites. No console error messages.
Switched to the other SG-1100 and everything is back up for the night.
I have to step away from this for a while, but at least I"m up and running still. I do want to get the spare 1100 fixed though since I sleep better with a spare ready to go.
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Good news. I was able to format the USB drive as UFS, reinstalled, and everything is up and running on my (now) backup 1100.
Interestingly, on this one it configured the /VAR disk for 120MB as I had set in the configuration, rather than limiting it to 60MB as the other device did. I am guessing that the Restore process just sets it to whatever the configuration is and it doesn't have the UI glitch holding it at 60MB.
Thanks so much for your assistance (again), Stephen. Very much appreciated.
