2.1 not working on Netgate Hamakua FW7541, the first certified pfsense appliance
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Here's a shot in the dark. I hope it helps.
Read http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,63656.msg352181.html#msg352181
Particularly:```
Also look at /usr/local/sbin/ufslabels.sh - that would eliminate the need to make any fstab edits.You would be able to do this on the machine you did the install on, if you let it boot into the drive. Once things are converted to labels you won't have the problem of having to manually change fstab. Hopefully once you put it back in the FW7541 it will get past the mountroot prompt. Disclaimer: I don't have one of these boxes, I have only glanced at the documentation you linked to. Also as another thought, It looked like the guide recommended leaving the default settings for boot blocks,etc. You might want to try a fresh load and deselect packet mode. This along with the steps you've already taken, or the method I suggest above may fix it. Hope this helps. If there is something else wrong.. this is going to make no difference. -
Netgate has not released pfSense 2.1 for their systems yet. They're currently under test.
Also you weren't clear on whether you're running a FW-7522 (Hamakua), FW-7535 or FW-7541. The Hamakua unit has a different load than the FW-7541/7535.
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Here's a shot in the dark. I hope it helps.
Read http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,63656.msg352181.html#msg352181
Particularly:```
Also look at /usr/local/sbin/ufslabels.sh - that would eliminate the need to make any fstab edits.You would be able to do this on the machine you did the install on, if you let it boot into the drive. Once things are converted to labels you won't have the problem of having to manually change fstab. Hopefully once you put it back in the FW7541 it will get past the mountroot prompt. Disclaimer: I don't have one of these boxes, I have only glanced at the documentation you linked to. Also as another thought, It looked like the guide recommended leaving the default settings for boot blocks,etc. You might want to try a fresh load and deselect packet mode. This along with the steps you've already taken, or the method I suggest above may fix it. Hope this helps. If there is something else wrong.. this is going to make no difference.I think you are onto something here. I took a look at that script located at /usr/local/sbin/ufslabels.sh and it definitely makes changes to the filesystem boot devices. I dismantled my FW-7541 again, ran the pfsense 2.1 i386 LiveCD again and installed an image onto my SSD hard drive using VMware Fusion and the drive attached via USB (same procedure that works just fine with pfsense 2.0.3). The image installs successfully and when I run that ufslabels.sh script it makes significant changes to the /etc/fstab of the LiveCD system. I tried tweaking the system, running the script and copying the fstab over to the SSD. Then I booted but still no luck, I'm still stuck at the mountroot> prompt and the console is frozen.
I am not familiar with what ufslabels.sh does exactly and have not had time to go through the script in detail yet. That script doesn't exist on my FreeBSD 8.x servers so it must be something specific to pfSense, so I'm hoping I can get more information about it on this forum. It seems this script needs to be incorporate into the docs I found here: https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Full_install_on_Netgate_Hamakua
Also the above docs were slightly outdated even before 2.1 came out. As mentioned if I can get my system running with 2.1 I'll gladly update the documentation. Otherwise my FW-7541 becomes a brick when upgrading to pfSense 2.1. I'm not sure if it would also become a brick using the embedded CF card that came with the device, and to be honest I'm afraid to try it as that's my only fallback plan.
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@jamietex:
Netgate has not released pfSense 2.1 for their systems yet. They're currently under test.
Also you weren't clear on whether you're running a FW-7522 (Hamakua), FW-7535 or FW-7541. The Hamakua unit has a different load than the FW-7541/7535.
That's good to know, I wasn't aware that they have (or rather, will have) their own version of pfSense for 2.1. Note that I ran the auto-update in the webGUI and turned the device virtually into a brick. I'll admit that I'm using a full install and an external SSD which isn't the standard configuration that the device shipped with, but I'm sure there are many others with this config.
I'm running the FW-7541. I didn't think it had any other name until I found the pfsense documentation I linked to above that mentioned both Hamakua and FW-7541, so I assumed that was a code name for it or something. Sounds like I should just use FW-7541 for clarity.
thanks,
Kelly -
The 7541 of course works fine with 2.1. You shouldn't follow the Hamakua instructions, those aren't applicable to the 7541. You install it just like any other system. If you get a mountroot failure, it's because the drive changed identifiers between when/where it was installed and when it's booting. Just specify the mount point manually and fix fstab after you're booted up if that's where you're currently at.
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;D
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Your problem is very similar to mine with a Jetway NF76-N1G6-LF via Nano MB. It´s been in use since version 1.2 or pfsense with no issues up until 2.0.3. But I can´t seem to be able to get 2.1 to install with either an update or clean install.
I noticed the the loader hangs for a while trying to detect ad0 where my Delock Sata DOM is attached. Then I also end up with MOUNTROOT and a no response from the keyboard. The computer hasn´t "hanged" as it still shows changes in states on the console.
I since noticed that if I unplug the USB keyboard and use an old PS2 keyboard + mouse I can use the keyboard at MOUNTROOT. But still a ? here shows no devices. I suppose next step would be to disable USB and see if that would help, but then I would have to install from something else than a memstick. I also tried to change to different bios modes for the disk to no avail.
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I'm using Lanner FW-7541 too. I upgraded from to 2.0.3 to 2.1 and got MOUNTROOT error. What I did is go to the bios and change the IDE part of the bios to "SATA ONLY" and it worked. Hope this help. :)
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@cmb:
The 7541 of course works fine with 2.1. You shouldn't follow the Hamakua instructions, those aren't applicable to the 7541. You install it just like any other system. If you get a mountroot failure, it's because the drive changed identifiers between when/where it was installed and when it's booting. Just specify the mount point manually and fix fstab after you're booted up if that's where you're currently at.
I'd love to do that but the console is absolutely frozen, so I can't get past the mountroot> prompt. I'm using a USB keyboard and the system doesn't support PS/2.
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I'm using Lanner FW-7541 too. I upgraded from to 2.0.3 to 2.1 and got MOUNTROOT error. What I did is go to the bios and change the IDE part of the bios to "SATA ONLY" and it worked. Hope this help. :)
Thanks, I will try that tonight!
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Two suggestions:
When you installed 2.1 to the SSD in a VM did you select serial console in the webgui once it was installed? Are you using the serial console on the FW-7541?Try using the memstick serial image to install to the SSD directly in the FW-7541.
Steve
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I also am not able to get 2.1 working on the FW7541 with a hard disk.
I initially tried an in-place upgrade and the unit refused to boot up. I have done two previous upgrade ( 2.0.1 -> 2.0.2 and 2.0.2 -> 2.0.3 ) without any issues.
I re-installed pfsense 2.1 on the disk in another computer according to this guide. https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Full_install_on_Netgate_Hamakua
Tried booting again it fails at:
Trying to mount root from ufs:/dev/ad0s1a ROOT MOUNT ERROR:Note: One thing that tripped me up is the FW7541 console initially boots up at 115200 baud but when pfSense starts loading it switches to 9600 baud.
I tried the suggestion of loading 2.1 through a USB bootstick ( pfSense-memstick-serial-2.1-RELEASE-i386.img ). Stick loads up fine but the hard disk is not seen as an available install disk. Only the memstick is on the list of install locations.
I don't have the VGA adapter cable to try and change BIOS settings.
Any ideas?
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console initially boots up at 115200 baud
You can't access the bios via serial at this point? Probably press 'TAB' instead of DEL.
Steve
@http://store.netgate.com/Netgate-FW-7541-P1846C83.aspx:
BIOS Setup via Console Port:
Configure your serial terminal program to support ANSI color and 115200 baud. If you are using minicom, add '-c on' to the minicom command line to turn on color.
At startup, when you hear the beep type to enter the BIOS Setup screen. Go to "Advanced" -> "Remote Access Configuration" and make the following changes:
Serial Port Mode: 19200 8,n,1
Redirection After BIOS POST: Disabled
Sredir Memory Display Delay: Delay 4 Sec
Save the BIOS changes, reboot, and reconfigure your serial terminal program to 19200 baud. -
TAB did work to get me into the BIOS. ( Learn something new every day.)
I changed to SATA ONLY and I was able to get it to boot.
Thank you for your help.
Now to re-install my settings…..
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I'm using Lanner FW-7541 too. I upgraded from to 2.0.3 to 2.1 and got MOUNTROOT error. What I did is go to the bios and change the IDE part of the bios to "SATA ONLY" and it worked. Hope this help. :)
Thanks, I will try that tonight!
Well I finally made this change in the BIOS and was able to upgrade to 2.1 fine. It's amazing how such a little thing caused me over a dozen hours of grief. Thanks again for your help.
Incidentally, for anyone who cares I wanted to use the serial console of the FW7541 but could never get my USB-to-Serial cable working properly on my Mac. Maybe one day I'll try it on a PC but for now I'm stuck with using the VGA adapter in the FW7541 and the local console, which works great but the cable sticks out of the box and looks ugly.
Kelly
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or wait another day or two and update from the netgate repo
