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    Ahci(4) needed for TRIM

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved 2.1 Snapshot Feedback and Problems - RETIRED
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    • T
      Tikimotel
      last edited by

      Just be careful when updating the builds.
      Updating deletes the "ahci.ko" from the /boot/kernel folder.
      So you'll have to do the opposite with mountroot, to mount the "/" partition (mount the non ahci name again), boot for a bit and copy "ahci.ko back again and reboot and finish/or re-install the packages.

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      • w0wW
        w0w
        last edited by

        This would be good to include ahci.ko to the next builds. I hope jimp read this.
        So we don't really need the option to enable trim during install for the 2.1, that is RC already, but at least it could be documented in some new ssd section of pfsense docs later and user can change the default driver if needed. I think including ahci.ko into boot kernel would not cause to drop rc stage back to alpha or beta ;)

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        • pttP
          ptt Rebel Alliance
          last edited by

          Have you tried the "ahci.ko" in the "/boot/modules/" instead the "/boot/kernel/" ? To avoid it to be deleted, when update….

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          • w0wW
            w0w
            last edited by

            Trying right now…

            Yes, it works! Thanks for the hint, ptt!

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            • C
              charliem
              last edited by

              Thanks guys!  I will do this later tonight.

              I second the idea of including ahci.ko in the pfSense build.  It would be great to have a way to enable TRIM with pfSense 2.1 without having to download FreeBSD 8.3 release, and worry about breaking your system with an update.  Would be pretty innocuous as a module in the /boot/modules directory, and there would be no worries about compatibility of modules from different compiler versions.

              Even booting FreeBSD 8.3 or 8.4 live fixit mode, my SSD is detected as ata by default, not ahci.  So including it as a module should be very safe.

              Thanks ….... Charlie

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              • T
                Tikimotel
                last edited by

                @ptt:

                Have you tried the "ahci.ko" in the "/boot/modules/" instead the "/boot/kernel/" ? To avoid it to be deleted, when update….

                Awesome that did it!

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                • AhnHELA
                  AhnHEL
                  last edited by

                  Fantastic tutorial!!  Thanks Tikimotel and PTT   ;D

                  Updated tutorial for the ahci_load="YES" to be edited into /boot/loader.conf.local

                  That way it will persist through firmware updates because the /boot/loader.conf is overwritten during updates as well.

                  For pfSense 2.1, Enable AHCI and TRIM for SSDs.
                  
                  1\.     Download the ISO of FreeBSD 8.3 and copy the "ahci.ko" into /boot/modules/
                  
                  2\.     chmod 0555 ahci.ko (r-xr-xr-x)
                  
                  3\.     Check if loads in the console, "kldload ahci" & "kldstat"
                  
                  4\.     Edit /boot/loader.conf.local to add ahci_load="YES"
                  
                  5\.     Reboot
                  
                  6\.     At the loader prompt "mountroot" type "?" for list of options.
                  
                  7\.     At the loader prompt "mountroot" type "ufs:/dev/ada0s1a" (ada0;ada1;ada4 will depend on chipset used)
                  
                  8\.     Once booted edit /etc/fstab and change and save the all mountpoints accordingly, including swap. (ada0;ada1;ada4 will depend on chipset used)
                  
                  9\.     Reboot
                  
                  pfSense will now boot like before if you have edited fstab correctly.
                  
                  10\.    Perform the TRIM_set action at a shell.
                  
                  						touch /root/TRIM_set; /etc/rc.reboot
                  
                  						to remove
                  
                  						touch /root/TRIM_unset; /etc/rc.reboot
                  
                  11\.    Reboot
                  
                  12\.    Check if TRIM is enabled with "tunefs -p /"
                  

                  AhnHEL (Angel)

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                  • C
                    charliem
                    last edited by

                    Great, worked right away!  I verified the module would load, then edited /etc/fstab, changing ad4 to ada0 and rebooted.  I got lucky: with my intel chipset, the SSD came up as ada0

                    Maybe this should be in the release notes?  Or at least point to this thread in http://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/2319.  No use in documenting /root/TRIM_set if more work is needed to get TRIM working.

                    Thanks again

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                    • pttP
                      ptt Rebel Alliance
                      last edited by

                      You can get the needed "ko" modules from here:

                      FreeBSD 8.1: http://files.pfsense.org/jimp/ko-8.1/

                      FreeBSD 8.3: http://files.pfsense.org/jimp/ko-8.3/

                      Thanks goes to Jimp ;)

                      Also say thanks to Jimp about the " xxxx.ko on the /boot/modules/" advice ;)

                      http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,39595.msg205010.html#msg205010

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                      • w0wW
                        w0w
                        last edited by

                        Thanks jimp!  :D

                        Looks like using rc.conf.local is not really needed, because during update rc.conf is edited, not deleted, so my things added into rc.conf years ago are still working. But to be safe… yes it's not bad to use rc.conf.local instead

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                        • w0wW
                          w0w
                          last edited by

                          
                          smartctl 6.1 2013-03-16 r3800 [FreeBSD 8.3-RELEASE-p8 i386] (local build)
                          Copyright (C) 2002-13, Bruce Allen, Christian Franke, www.smartmontools.org
                          
                          /dev/: Unable to detect device type
                          Please specify device type with the -d option.
                          
                          Use smartctl -h to get a usage summary
                          
                          

                          I am getting this when trying to get S.M.A.R.T., after ahci enabled, any suggestions?

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                          • C
                            charliem
                            last edited by

                            @w0w:

                            I am getting this when trying to get S.M.A.R.T., after ahci enabled, any suggestions?

                            The device name changed with ahci, ie from ad4 to ada0 in my case, and the extra 'a' is not being picked up by the regexp in diag_smart.php

                            This change to /usr/local/www/diag_smart.php will pick up the devices with the extra 'a', if it's there.

                            
                            --- diag_smart.php.orig 2013-06-27 22:25:23.000000000 -0400
                            +++ diag_smart.php      2013-06-27 22:20:08.000000000 -0400
                            @@ -277,7 +277,7 @@
                                    default:
                                    {
                                            // Get all AD* and DA* (IDE and SCSI) devices currently installed and stores them in the $devs array
                            -               exec("ls /dev | grep '^[ad][da][0-9]\{1,2\}$'", $devs);
                            +               exec("ls /dev | grep '^[ad][da]a*[0-9]\{1,2\}$'", $devs);
                                            ?>
                            
                            
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                            • w0wW
                              w0w
                              last edited by

                              Thank you charliem!
                              Hmm, may be it should be submitted here - https://github.com/pfsense/pfsense/blob/master/usr/local/www/diag_smart.php ?

                              Or somebody can do the patch that can be applied with "Patches" package. This one posted does not look compatible.
                              I have patched manually but…

                              Patch works via "System Patches" package. Sorry  ;)

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                              • T
                                Tikimotel
                                last edited by

                                Use with caution!
                                I've cleaned up the "patch" a bit and added one extra for the dashboard widget!  ;D

                                1st:
                                Description : "AHCI SMART fix"

                                
                                --- diag_smart.php.orig 2013-06-27 22:25:23.000000000 -0400
                                +++ diag_smart.php      2013-07-16 22:20:08.000000000 -0400
                                @@ -280,1 +280,1 @@
                                -               exec("ls /dev | grep '^[ad][da][0-9]\{1,2\}$'", $devs);
                                +               exec("ls /dev | grep '^[ad][da]a*[0-9]\{1,2\}$'", $devs);
                                
                                

                                Base Directory: "/usr/local/www/"
                                (Please test first!!! Line numbers may change or the patch may not be needed in the future!!!)

                                2nd (for dashboard widget)  ;)
                                Description : "ACHI dashboard fix"

                                
                                --- smart_status.widget.php.orig 2013-07-16 22:25:23.000000000 -0400
                                +++ smart_status.widget.php      2013-07-16 22:20:08.000000000 -0400
                                @@ -45,1 +45,1 @@
                                - exec("ls /dev | grep '^[ad][da][0-9]\{1,2\}$'", $devs); ## leant from orginal SMART status screen
                                + exec("ls /dev | grep '^[ad][da]a*[0-9]\{1,2\}$'", $devs); ## leant from orginal SMART status screen
                                
                                

                                Base Directory: "/usr/local/www/widgets/widgets/"
                                (Please test first!!! Line numbers may change or the patch may not be needed in the future!!!)

                                It works for me..

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                                • K
                                  kejianshi
                                  last edited by

                                  I think this is great, but TRIM on a SSD is so common like dirt by now and required, that it should either be:

                                  1.  Something that is just automagically detected and applied (like it does for any other common device)

                                  or

                                  2.  Asked at initial install "would you like to enable TRIM on this device."

                                  Maybe next decade.

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                                  • T
                                    Tikimotel
                                    last edited by

                                    AHCI is great! for TCQ & NCQ on normal HDD's not just for TRIM on SSD's.
                                    "ada0: Command Queueing enabled"

                                    And for SATA 6Gbs support.
                                    ada0: 600.000MB/s transfers (SATA 3.x, UDMA5, PIO 8192bytes)

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                                    • jimpJ
                                      jimp Rebel Alliance Developer Netgate
                                      last edited by

                                      The AHCI module should be included in snapshots now (I just updated a VM and checked, it's there).

                                      Also look at /usr/local/sbin/ufslabels.sh - that would eliminate the need to make any fstab edits.

                                      Too late for 2.1 to grow an installer option for it, but perhaps for 2.2.

                                      Remember: Upvote with the 👍 button for any user/post you find to be helpful, informative, or deserving of recognition!

                                      Need help fast? Netgate Global Support!

                                      Do not Chat/PM for help!

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                                      • AhnHELA
                                        AhnHEL
                                        last edited by

                                        Thanks Jimp, just started a fresh installation on my main pf box using a new SSD and tried out the latest snap.  Works perfectly.

                                        Couldnt figure out how to run the ufslabels.sh file.  Getting a permission denied at a shell, so just edited fstab the old fashioned way.

                                        AhnHEL (Angel)

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                                        • jimpJ
                                          jimp Rebel Alliance Developer Netgate
                                          last edited by

                                          It's just missing exec bits
                                          chmod a+x ufslabels.sh; ./ufslabels.sh

                                          Or:
                                          sh ufslabels.sh

                                          I pushed a fix to correct the exec bits, it'll turn up in shapshots eventually

                                          Remember: Upvote with the 👍 button for any user/post you find to be helpful, informative, or deserving of recognition!

                                          Need help fast? Netgate Global Support!

                                          Do not Chat/PM for help!

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                                          • AhnHELA
                                            AhnHEL
                                            last edited by

                                            Does that printout look normal with the unexpected operator?  End result seems to be correct.

                                            
                                            [2.1-RC0][root@pfsense@pfsenseuser.net]/root(17): chmod a+x /usr/local/sbin/ufslabels.sh ; /usr/local/sbin/ufslabels.sh
                                            FS: / on device ada0s1a with ufsid 51f5bc9c854a3254
                                            FS: Swap on device ada0s1b
                                            ====================
                                            Current fstab:
                                            # Device                Mountpoint      FStype  Options         Dump    Pass#
                                            /dev/ada0s1a            /               ufs     rw              1       1
                                            /dev/ada0s1b            none            swap    sw              0       0
                                            ====================
                                            New fstab:
                                            # Device                Mountpoint      FStype  Options         Dump    Pass#
                                            /dev/ufsid/51f5bc9c854a3254             /               ufs     rw             11
                                            /dev/label/swap         none            swap    sw              0       0
                                            [: =: unexpected operator
                                            Commit changes? (y/n):
                                            y
                                            Disabling swap to apply label
                                            Applying label to swap parition
                                            Activating new fstab
                                            Re-enabling swap[/code]
                                            

                                            AhnHEL (Angel)

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