2.1-RELEASE-i386 strange boot error Soekris 6501

tavlan

Hi Im trying to install Pfsense 2.1 on the msata hard-drive on some Soekris.

I have NO problems to boot from the USB in the serial console and I have followed this thread

https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=42742.0
https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Soekris_6501_USB_Flash_installation

I also know that the first boot process looks crappy and you shall wait until you see the install menu as described in the thread above.

I have used 2 different USB pins and 2 different PFsense memory stick serial img files.
pfSense-memstick-serial-2.1-RELEASE-i386.img.gz
pfSense-memstick-serial-2.0.1-RELEASE-i386.img.gz

The problem is that I can see the install menu but can't do anything more. I will show you my serial output below.

1024 Mbyte Memory                        CPU Atom E6xx 1000 Mhz

SATA AHCI BIOS ver. 0.61 20121115  Copyright (C) 2003-2011 Intel Corporation

Controller Bus#02, Device#06, Function#00: 02 Ports, 01 Devices
  Port-00: Hard Disk, INTEL SSDMCEAC030B3
  Port-01: No device detected

Soekris USB Expansion ROM ver. 1.01  20111203

81: USB 01  SanDisk SanDisk Cruzer  Xlt 980-255-63  7876 Mbyte

Initializing Intel(R) Boot Agent GE v1.3.72
PXE 2.1 Build 089 (WfM 2.0)

 Slot   Vend Dev  ClassRev Cmd  Stat CL LT HT  Base1    Base2   Int
--------------------------------------------------------------------
00:00:0 8086 4114 06000005 0007 0000 00 00 00 00000000 00000000
00:23:0 8086 8184 06040000 0107 0010 08 00 01 1FFF1000 A0FFA000 10
00:24:0 8086 8185 06040000 0107 0010 08 00 01 3FFF2000 A2FFA100 11
00:25:0 8086 8180 06040000 0107 0010 08 00 01 5FFF4000 A4FFA300 05
00:26:0 8086 8181 06040000 0107 0010 08 00 01 0FFF1000 00FFA000 09
00:31:0 8086 8186 06010000 0003 0000 00 00 80 00000000 00000000
02:02:0 8086 8804 0C031002 0106 0010 00 00 80 A0000B00 00000000 09
02:02:1 8086 8805 0C031002 0106 0010 00 00 80 A0000C00 00000000 09
02:02:2 8086 8806 0C031002 0106 0010 00 00 80 A0000D00 00000000 09
02:02:3 8086 8807 0C032002 0106 0010 00 00 80 A0000E00 00000000 09
02:06:0 8086 880B 01060102 0107 0010 00 00 00 00000000 00000000 11
02:08:0 8086 880C 0C031002 0106 0010 00 00 80 A0004800 00000000 10
02:08:1 8086 880D 0C031002 0106 0010 00 00 80 A0004900 00000000 10
02:08:2 8086 880E 0C031002 0106 0010 00 00 80 A0004A00 00000000 10
02:08:3 8086 880F 0C032002 0106 0010 00 00 80 A0004B00 00000000 10
02:10:1 8086 8811 07000201 0107 0010 00 00 80 00001041 A0004D00 09
02:10:2 8086 8812 07000200 0107 0010 00 00 80 00001049 A0004D10 09
02:12:2 8086 8817 0C800000 0106 0010 00 00 80 00000000 A0005000 05
02:12:3 8086 8818 0C090000 0106 0010 00 00 80 00000000 A0005200 05
03:00:0 111D 803A 0604000E 0107 0010 08 00 01 3FFF2000 A2FFA100
05:00:0 8086 10D3 02000000 0107 0010 08 00 00 A1000000 00000000 09
06:00:0 8086 10D3 02000000 0107 0010 08 00 00 A2000000 00000000 10
08:00:0 111D 803A 0604000E 0107 0010 08 00 01 5FFF4000 A4FFA300
10:00:0 8086 10D3 02000000 0107 0010 08 00 00 A3000000 00000000 10
11:00:0 8086 10D3 02000000 0107 0010 08 00 00 A4000000 00000000 11

 5 Seconds to automatic boot.   Press Ctrl-P for entering Monitor.

comBIOS Monitor.   Press ? for help.

>

Im able to boot from USB, and I see the crappy things as in one of the threds above

> boot 81
//bboooott//ccoonnffiigg::  --DD

                       0
                       1
                                      y

                                           1
                                                                             )
/ |

I think this is the first page of the installation guide and I suppose to press "I" to install but nothing happens


   ▒                                         ▒
   ▒                                         ▒
   ▒                                         ▒
   ▒                                         ▒
   ▒                            !            ▒
   ▒                                         ▒
   ▒                                         ▒
   ▒                          ]              ▒
   ▒                                  d      ▒
   ▒                                 e       ▒
   ▒                             e           ▒
   ▒                                    e    ▒
   ▒                                     g   ▒
   ▒                           t             ▒
   ▒          t                              ▒
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   ▒                                         ▒
   ▒                                   t     ▒
   ▒                                         ▒
   ▒                                         ▒

  /

Do someone have the solution on my problem?:)

stephenw10

You've set the comspeed to 9600?

Steve

tavlan

Yes the console speed is set to 9600 :)

But I agree that its looks like some console speed error but thats not the case this time.

tavlan

After I change soekris to another one its working like a clock :)

I don't know that cause the problem, but the "old" soekris is working without problems with Debian 6.

Over and out…

stephenw10

Different bios version? You certainly seem to have a different version to that in the linked thread.

Steve

tavlan

Yes I have a newer BIOS than the one in the theard.
I don't remember the BIOS ver on my old one, but they are bought at the same time. One of them have the ability to be in an rack and the working one is not.

Except that they are the same, but it sounds like a different BIOS somehow

tavlan

I have the comBIOS ver. 1.41c

stephenw10

Hmm, you would expect your newer bios to boot more easily. :-
Odd but at least you're up and running anyway.

Steve