PCEngines alix2c3 (Substitute for WRAP) boot failes

hk

ok :(
is there any way to do it without ordering this cf from pcengines?

Yes, I used an old 128MB CF with the FreeDOS-Image from PCEngines. I put the image on the card with physdiskwrite: http://m0n0.ch/wall/physdiskwrite.php

covex

Yes, I used an old 128MB CF with the FreeDOS-Image from PCEngines. I put the image on the card with physdiskwrite: http://m0n0.ch/wall/physdiskwrite.php

ok
is there any way to do it without ordering this cf from pcengines or using 128mb cf? :(
i can't find any 128mb cards here.

GruensFroeschli

You dont "have" to use a 128 MB card.
Any CF card bigger than 128 MB should work as well. (have it running on a 512 Mb card right here)

covex

You dont "have" to use a 128 MB card.
Any CF card bigger than 128 MB should work as well. (have it running on a 512 Mb card right here)

did you use the image from pcengines? how did you put it on. i've 256mb cf and running phydiskwrite freedos.img doesn't work. trying to boot getting a message bootable partition damaged or something

sbyoon

If you succeeded in freedos booting with other CF card that are not supplied by pcengines, pls let us know the maker or brand name of the CF card. I tried with Sandisk 512mb and Transcend 128mb but they didn't work.

Md2k

PNY 256 MB and Transcend 2048 MB didn´t worked with Freedos on my ALIX.

I succesfully flashed the BIOS with a lended hama 128 MB Card after 2 evenings wasted with my bigger cards.

Pfsense is running very well now.

GruensFroeschli

@covex:

You dont "have" to use a 128 MB card.
Any CF card bigger than 128 MB should work as well. (have it running on a 512 Mb card right here)

did you use the image from pcengines? how did you put it on. i've 256mb cf and running phydiskwrite freedos.img doesn't work. trying to boot getting a message bootable partition damaged or something

d'oh… i meant you where talking about the pf itself and not about flashing the bios.
that i did with a 128 mb card ^^"

vangual

Just a small headsup. There is now a seperate page on the pcengines websites giving some instructions how to create your own freedos bootable cfdisk. :)

http://www.pcengines.ch/freedos.htm

covex

Just a small headsup. There is now a seperate page on the pcengines websites giving some instructions how to create your own freedos bootable cfdisk.

received an email from Pascal with this link. haven't tried this yet though.

…

didn't work :( i feel stupid! board wont recognize this partition as bootable...

even though my alix board is working with pfsense-1024 image i can't reboot it from the interface, only power cycle. what is the difference between pfsense.img and pfsense-1024.img anyway?

felixh

It took me 2 days to find a way to update the bios of my alix w/o a 128cf :S

I followed the instruction for creating a bootable disk for syslinux (second part) on http://ben.franske.com/blogs/bensbits.php/2007/08/21/booting_dos_from_a_usb_flash_drive

after copying the bios update files to the cf - it booted fine, but asked me to enter the full path to the command-interpreter - instead of command.com i gave him sb.com. voila! flashing started and finished with an ok.

now my alix works with RC3.

I used a 46MB CF - formatted it with FAT instead of FAT32

Issacsim

I just got my Alix board and red case.

Where are you guys drilling for the antenna (antenna hole covered by USB ports)?
Which lead on the Atheros card to use for the pigtail (if it makes a diffrance)?

Issacsim

Are there any other ways to flash this bios. I have tried all the methods above with 4 different cards and none will boot. The most I got was "ROOT FAT" and than nothing.

Issacsim

OK, got it working with "File Copy" Option from http://www.pcengines.ch/freedos.htm on a 2GB SanDisk

covex

i still can't set neither of my cf's active and make alix boot from them :(

thx2000

Has anyone had any success (or know if it's possible) to create a netboot image for freedos? I tried dozens of times in a variety of different configurations to make it work all to no avail. However, I think if there was a way to pull it off it might lend itself better to people who don't have a compatible CF card.

DoubleK

@Issacsim:

OK, got it working with "File Copy" Option from http://www.pcengines.ch/freedos.htm on a 2GB SanDisk

Good to hear that, but how did you manage it? Can you please give a hint?
I tried it yesterday night (for >6 hours…) with all kind of cards (1GB SanDisk ExtremeIII, 2GB SanDisk normal, 1 GB no-name) - without any results.
Using the syslinux method (http://ben.franske.com/blogs/bensbits.php/2007/08/21/booting_dos_from_a_usb_flash_drive) I got a boot prompt and a "Loading FreeDOS" - but that's it.

To anyone who already booted FreeDOS: can I expect any FreeDOS output at the serial console? Or will there just be nothing? Would I have to update the BIOS using autoexec.bat/fdauto.bat?

@thx2000:

Has anyone had any success (or know if it's possible) to create a netboot image for freedos? I tried dozens of times in a variety of different configurations to make it work all to no avail. However, I think if there was a way to pull it off it might lend itself better to people who don't have a compatible CF card.

After throwing my CF cards at the wall ;) I also tried the PXELINUX way. I already have DHCP and TFTP running here, so this wasn't too much action. But I don't get very far this way - my ALIX gets an IP address via DHCP, loads the pxelinux.0, then the pxelinux.cfg/default, and that's it. Some PXELINUX prompt appears, but nothing more - no more TFTP requests (not even for the memdisk image). Here's my default config file for PXELINUX:


SERIAL 0 38400 0
timeout 50
default fdos
prompt 1
say PXE_2

label fdos
  kernel memdisk
  append initrd=fdboot.img

Leaving the SERIAL option away doesn't help; the 'say' command was used just for debugging, but I don't even see that at the console. :(
A minimalistic config file (containing only the last three lines) showed no different behaviour. ???

My board is an ALIX2.3 with Bios 0.98b. This afternoon I'll have a look at a computer store around the corner if they have some 128 meg CFs.
UPDATE: no-one here still has that small CF cards… I'll have to buy one at eBay. Must be patient... :-\

vangual

@DoubleK:

To anyone who already booted FreeDOS: can I expect any FreeDOS output at the serial console? Or will there just be nothing? Would I have to update the BIOS using autoexec.bat/fdauto.bat?

The freedos cf supplied from pcengines boots with some lines serial output and ends in a command line prompt (forgot if it was A:> or C:>). After which you can manually execute the sb binary via the serial command prompt.

bjorktorp

I have had the same experiences as most of you:

tried "all" methods
tried several types of cards
no success (hangs at loading FreeDOS)

The most interesting observation is that I found a 128MB card with the right C/H/S geometry. Not even that one worked.

Now I have surrendered and ordered a preinstalled CF.

/Roger

Clown

@bjorktorp:

The most interesting observation is that I found a 128MB card with the right C/H/S geometry. Not even that one worked.

Now I have surrendered and ordered a preinstalled CF.

Did you use physdiskwrite as for the pfsense? In the bios settings LBA needs to be disabled so in CHS mode!
C CHS mode (L) LBA mode (W) HDD wait (V) HDD slave (U) UDMA enable

OK, my card was from pcengines, but without the dos…

fridaynoon

done (perhaps)
Worked with 3 CF (8 MB, 1 GB, 2 GB)
The procedure is (obviously) linear and clear.
What you need: The Freedos ISO, burned on a CD.
Start with the ISO, with a CF reader attached.
1 for Boot from CD, 5 for start freedos
Go to Freedos\setup\odin
fdisk. no support for FAT32 (I think it lacks a FAT32 support in my procedure, I saw something for this, but I think irrilevant). Delete the existing partition, create a new one, make it active.
Reboot, 1 for Boot from CD, 5 for start freedos
Go to Freedos\setup\odin
format c: /s

You can say, this is what it should be. That's right.

Tell me if it works for you