Howto boot a 1.2.3 nano image on embedded ??

sigma

Thanks, but where I get this release? On pcEngines I get some Source of tinybios, but have no chance to get a working file (I think I need an assembler (not free). Or are there standard bios files for download. If yes, I can't find it.

Sigma

stoffel

The Bios on this side

http://www.pcengines.ch/alix2.htm

fathom

I have this same problem, but with a new twist. I'm using a WRAP instead of an ALIX.


PC Engines WRAP.1C/1D/1E v1.08
640 KB Base Memory
130048 KB Extended Memory

01F0 Master 044A CF CARD 4GB
Phys C/H/S 7818/16/63 Log C/H/S 977/128/63

1   FreeBSD
2   FreeBSD

Boot:   1 ###################################

I know there is a v1.11 bios for the WRAP, but I don't use the minipci port, also I've already talked to someone running the latest bios and they still have this issue.

Ideas?

jimp

This appears to be from the use of packet mode. A commit just went in to take it out of future images, or if you can mount the image in another bsd box, you can type:

boot0cfg -o nopacket /dev/<whatever></whatever>

Where <whatever>is the device name that the CF appears as (e.g with my USB CF reader it's da0)</whatever>

sigma

On the ALIX I wrote a new BIOS and after that it works fine. Have a look for a new BIOS for your WARP.

jimp

@sigma:

On the ALIX I wrote a new BIOS and after that it works fine. Have a look for a new BIOS for your WARP.

FYI- That doesn't help. I updated to the newest one and it still didn't boot without switching to nopacket.

sigma

It's possible. WARp is not ALIX, but it was worth a try :-)

jimp

@sigma:

It's possible. WARp is not ALIX, but it was worth a try :-)

Yeah, it was worth a try, which is why I'd already tried it :-)

With the nopacket changes in, I wonder if an ALIX with an older BIOS will boot it now as well.

sigma

I got the hint with to upgrade the BIOS from Stoffel (thanks again!!) and I'm glad that it works so fine now.

I see in another thread that packages can't be installed on the nanobsd image. This seems to be because of the read only filesystems, I think for protecting the CF from intensive writing. I tried some things to mount the filesystems rw, but had no chance, because I have less experience with freebsd. I tried it also with a live system, could access the image but I had to less rights to do that …:-)

So a good Idea will be to set the needed filesystems to rw, install some packages and after a boot it was back ro again. So I think the CF is safe enough. Some uses microdrives or small harddisk, and in this case it will be an option, that the filesystems can be set to rw.
I don't know where to write this idea (and I'm also sure that I'm not the first with this) but I would haf fun if this could be realized.

Sigma

jimp

Packages on nano will definitely need some fine tuning. The ability to install them is a very, very new feature so some things are bound to take time to settle.

iirc, there will need to be some updates to some packages so that they can do what they need, and it may end up that not every package will be nano-friendly.

Time will tell, and you'll have to contact each package maintainer about issues.

sigma

jimp, thanks for this information. I have a look to the forum and new upgrades :-)

boot problem:
I tried the actual 4g snapshot. I have the same effect as I had with versions before. No problem on "normal" CF cards, but php errors at boot with the SLC CF version. It's not important for me, but if someone has the same effect take non SLC cards so it works (but only with BIOS 0.99h on ALIX boards).

Sigma

fathom

I tried the http://snapshots.pfsense.org/FreeBSD_RELENG_7_2/pfSense_RELENG_1_2/nanobsd/pfSense-1.2.3-4g-20090709-0538-nanobsd.img.gz and go the same hash mark stuff on my WRAP. I'm currently downloading http://snapshots.pfsense.org/FreeBSD_RELENG_7_2/pfSense_RELENG_1_2/nanobsd/pfSense-1.2.3-1g-20090709-1710-nanobsd.img.gz to give that a shot and see if it's fixed in that build.

edit: Updated my WRAP to v1.11, still got #### from that newer snapshot.

edit2: As of the http://snapshots.pfsense.org/FreeBSD_RELENG_7_2/pfSense_RELENG_1_2/nanobsd/pfSense-1.2.3-4g-20090710-0645-nanobsd.img.gz snapshot, I now have a working nanobsd on my WRAP.

xbipin

i have a alix with 0.99 bios and all nanobsd images after 11th july boot up just fine

blastkiller

anyone got a solution how to boot from wrap ? i can´t get it to work

thanks

bplein

I am having the same issues with pfSense-1.2.3-2g-20090820-1453-nanobsd.img.gz (latest 2GB image as of today).

Brand new Alix board to replace my WRAP. My old WRAP image on a 256MB card works fine. The ALIX came with BIOS 0.99. First try with the above image ends up showing #### on keystrokes. I tried upgrading the BIOS to 0.99h, and it seemed to go fine, but it still shows 0.99 when I boot. And it still fails to boot the pfSense-1.2.3-2g-20090820-1453-nanobsd.img.gz image.

I will go back and try an older image, but I don't want to play CF-imaging-dude all night.

Any ideas?

gloomrider

@bplein:

I am having the same issues with pfSense-1.2.3-2g-20090820-1453-nanobsd.img.gz (latest 2GB image as of today).

Brand new Alix board to replace my WRAP. My old WRAP image on a 256MB card works fine. The ALIX came with BIOS 0.99. First try with the above image ends up showing #### on keystrokes. I tried upgrading the BIOS to 0.99h, and it seemed to go fine, but it still shows 0.99 when I boot. And it still fails to boot the pfSense-1.2.3-2g-20090820-1453-nanobsd.img.gz image.

I will go back and try an older image, but I don't want to play CF-imaging-dude all night.

Any ideas?

Based on your description, it would seem your BIOS update failed. Mine clearly shows v0.99h:


PC Engines ALIX.2 v0.99h                                              
640 KB Base Memory                                                    
261120 KB Extended Memory                                             

01F0 Master 848A SanDisk SDCFH2-002G                     
Phys C/H/S 3970/16/63 Log C/H/S 992/64/63                

1   FreeBSD
2   FreeBSD

Boot:   2 
//bboooott..ccoonnffiigg::  --DD

bplein

You are right!

I didn't follow all of the BIOS upgrade instructions. I uploaded the 512K .img file, you are supposed to upload the smaller .upd file.

It now works.

Thanks!

cmb

@blastkiller:

anyone got a solution how to boot from wrap ?

It doesn't work on WRAP right now.

orangepeelbeef

I have the same issue on the WRAP. Latest bios 1.11 all I get are hash marks after the boot prompt :(
I tried the pfSense-1.2.3-2g-20090820-1453-nanobsd.img.gz as well as the latest 2.0-alpha-alpha and both of them do the same thing.

PC Engines WRAP.2B/2C v1.11
640 KB Base Memory
130048 KB Extended Memory

01F0 Master 044A CF2GHS
Phys C/H/S 3949/16/63 Log C/H/S 987/64/63

1 FreeBSD
2 FreeBSD

Boot: 1 ####################################################

cmb

@orangepeelbeef:

I have the same issue on the WRAP.

See the post above yours.

@cmb:

@blastkiller:

anyone got a solution how to boot from wrap ?

It doesn't work on WRAP right now.