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    Problem with console installation

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Problems Installing or Upgrading pfSense Software
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    • H
      hege
      last edited by

      Hi,

      I have difficulties configuring pfSense properly via the serial interface on my NCA-2510 from Lanner.
      After hours of troubleshooting I think the root cause is, that after the bootloader phase, pfSense is not using the console anymore except for the status messages like "IF Down / IF Up"

      I'm not sure how I did it, but I installed Ubuntu in serial mode and after that I could install pfSense without any issues on console, I also could update from 2.4 to 2.4.3 on the console, and restart several times - BUT - after a cold boot (Power cable removed) the last message I can see on the console is "Trying to mount root from ufs:/dev/gptid/****"
      After that line I can only see the status messages (IF Down / IF Up)

      I have certainly used the serial console image for the installation.

      echo "test" > /dev/console shows no output on the console

      [2.4.3-RELEASE][admin@pfSense.localdomain]/root: ls  /dev
acpi       bpf        ctty       fido       klog       netmap     random     ttyu0      ttyv6      uhid0
ada0       bpf0       cuau0      full       kmem       nfslock    reroot     ttyu0.init ttyv7      ukbd0
ada0p1     console    cuau0.init geom.ctl   led        null       ses0       ttyu0.lock ttyv8      urandom
ada0p2     consolectl cuau0.lock gptid      lpt0       pass0      sndstat    ttyv0      ttyv9      usb
ada0p3     cpuctl0    devctl     hpet0      lpt0.ctl   pass1      speaker    ttyv1      ttyva      usbctl
apm        cpuctl1    devctl2    io         md0        pci        stderr     ttyv2      ttyvb      xpt0
apmctl     cpuctl2    devstat    kbd1       mdctl      pf         stdin      ttyv3      ufssuspend zero
audit      cpuctl3    dumpdev    kbd2       mem        ppi0       stdout     ttyv4      ugen0.1
auditpipe  crypto     fd         kbdmux0    midistat   pts        sysmouse   ttyv5      ugen0.2

      Content of /etc/ttys

      "console none" seems wrong to me?!

      #
# $FreeBSD$
#	@(#)ttys	5.1 (Berkeley) 4/17/89
#
# This file specifies various information about terminals on the system.
# It is used by several different programs.  Common entries for the
# various columns include:
#
# name  The name of the terminal device.
#
# getty The program to start running on the terminal.  Typically a
#       getty program, as the name implies.  Other common entries
#       include none, when no getty is needed, and xdm, to start the
#       X Window System.
#
# type The initial terminal type for this port.  For hardwired
#      terminal lines, this will contain the type of terminal used.
#      For virtual consoles, the correct type is typically xterm.
#      Other common values include dialup for incoming modem ports, and
#      unknown when the terminal type cannot be predetermined.
#
# status Must be on or off.  If on, init will run the getty program on
#        the specified port.  If the word "secure" appears, this tty
#        allows root login.
#
# name	getty				type	status		comments
#
# If console is marked "insecure", then init will ask for the root password
# when going to single-user mode.
console	none				unknown	off secure
#
ttyv0	"/usr/libexec/getty al.Pc"	xterm	on	secure
# Virtual terminals
ttyv1	"/usr/libexec/getty Pc"		xterm	on  secure
ttyv2	"/usr/libexec/getty Pc"		xterm	on  secure
ttyv3	"/usr/libexec/getty Pc"		xterm	on  secure
ttyv4	"/usr/libexec/getty Pc"		xterm	on  secure
ttyv5	"/usr/libexec/getty Pc"		xterm	on  secure
ttyv6	"/usr/libexec/getty Pc"		xterm	on  secure
ttyv7	"/usr/libexec/getty Pc"		xterm	on  secure
ttyv8	"/usr/local/bin/xdm -nodaemon"	xterm	off secure
# Serial terminals
# The 'dialup' keyword identifies dialin lines to login, fingerd etc.
ttyu0	"/usr/libexec/getty al.3wire"	vt100	onifconsole	secure
ttyu1	"/usr/libexec/getty al.3wire"	vt100	onifconsole	secure
ttyu2	"/usr/libexec/getty al.3wire"	vt100	onifconsole	secure
ttyu3	"/usr/libexec/getty al.3wire"	vt100	onifconsole	secure
# Dumb console
dcons	"/usr/libexec/getty std.9600"	vt100	off secure

      Any idea what the cause of this could be?

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • stephenw10S
        stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
        last edited by

        If you only see the interface up down messages it's almost certainly because you are looking at the wrong console. Those are shown on all consoles whereas the output between 'trying to mount root from…' and the console menu is only shown on the primary console.

        Try forcing the serial console to be primary:
        https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Boot_Troubleshooting#Booting_with_an_alternate_console

        You may also be seeing a conflict with console redirect settings from the BIOS. It could be set to redirect after boot and you are actually seeing the VGA output redirected to the serial console.

        Steve

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • H
          hege
          last edited by

          Hi Steve, thanks for the fast answer.

          @stephenw10:

          Try forcing the serial console to be primary:
          https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Boot_Troubleshooting#Booting_with_an_alternate_console

          I already tried this option without any change in the behavior.

          @stephenw10:

          You may also be seeing a conflict with console redirect settings from the BIOS. It could be set to redirect after boot and you are actually seeing the VGA output redirected to the serial console.

          I just disabled the console redirection in the bios completely with the effect, that I cannot see the bios boot (as excpected), but I can see the pfSense boot menu and the console output also stops after the line "trying to mount root"

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • stephenw10S
            stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
            last edited by

            And forcing an alternate console still has no effect even after disabling console re-direct?

            I assume you are trying to force a serial console? What if you try to force a vga console, does that make any difference at all?

            Steve

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            • H
              hege
              last edited by

              I have just tried to force the vga console, unfortunately it makes no difference at all.
              I also have the same behavior in the single user mode.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • stephenw10S
                stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                last edited by

                Hmm. The fact that installing Ubuntu allowed it to work implies it somehow altered the console config in some way that survives a warm boot. Consoel re-direct is about the only thing I can think of that might behave like that.

                That's a C3000 box though right? That's not fully supported in FreeBSD 11.1 and hence pfSense 2.4.3.

                I wonder exactly what the "Virtualization-optimization" entails.

                Try installing a FreeBSD 11.1 image or a 12 snapshot if you can.

                Steve

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • H
                  hege
                  last edited by

                  I just noticed that in vidmode another line of text appears after a short time.

                  FreeBSD/amd64

                  Yes it's a C3000 box.

                  I will try it with the FreeBSD image.

                  Edit:
                  FreeBSD 11.1 - same behavior
                  FreeBSD 12 - works

                  Changes in the bootloader:

                  set boot_multicons
set boot_serial
set comconsole_speed=115200
set console="comconsole,vidconsole"
set kern.cam.boot_delay=5000
boot

                  So the serial console problem is caused by the fact that 11.1 does not fully support the C3000?

                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • H
                    hege
                    last edited by

                    I don't understand what you mean - I have the same boot problem with FreeBSD 11.1, with FreeBSD 12 I can boot without issues.

                    1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • stephenw10S
                      stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
                      last edited by

                      Hmm, well first I've heard of that but it certainly looks like something in FreeBSD 11.1 isn't working correctly on that particular box.

                      I'd try turning off any features you can in the BIOS. Other C3000 boxes don't behave that way but are still limited by lack of hardware support in 11.1.

                      You may have to wait for a build on FreeBSD 11.2 unfortunately.

                      Steve

                      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • H
                        hege
                        last edited by

                        Ok thanks, I will try to contact the Lanner support, maybe the know what's going on.

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
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