Successful Install on Watchguard Firebox X700!

[stephenw10]

You need to allow unsigned packages in System > Advanced,  Miscellaneous tab. The dev package is unsigned, and probably should be. It's got issues in 2.2 though they can be worked around:
https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=7920.msg479877#msg479877

Steve

[negimudkip]

Don't know if anyone has gotten a "ata0: DMA limited to UDMA33, controller found non-ATA66 cable" when installing 2.2 on the X1000.

[stephenw10]

That's to be expected, the connection is not UDMA-66 capable. Is it preventing it from booting? You might need to disable DMA, read this:
https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=20095.msg480824#msg480824

Steve

[negimudkip]

@stephenw10:

That's to be expected, the connection is not UDMA-66 capable. Is it preventing it from booting? You might need to disable DMA, read this:
https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=20095.msg480824#msg480824

Steve

Yes, it's preventing me from booting. So I just have to edit the file in the "Diagnostics - Edit File" in the /boot/loader.conf file, then update? Just want to make sure….

[stephenw10]

You need to use the file:
/boot/loader.conf.local

The standard loader.conf file isn't copied across when you do a firmware update and can be overwritten.

However that log line about the cable is normal because it isn't an 80pin cable/connection. What do your boot logs actually show before it fails to boot?

Steve

[power_matz]

Any hint to make a clean install on a HD? I installed it on a new HD but the system isn't showing any output on the serial console. I tried two HDs, always the same.
Booting from a CF card is working with output to putty.

Is there is another way like the X750e boxes for starting?

I used the box with the 2.1 version without any problems. The console always showed up.
The display light is going out while starting…. very strange.

Matthias

[stephenw10]

Hmm, that's tricky. You're using the same HD so it's unlikely to be a BIOS detection  issue. You'd need to use a PCI graphics card to determine that though.
How did you install to the drive? There's no HD activity LED on the X700 so it may be booting to something and failing at, say, the mountroot> Have you enabled serial output?
It seems likely to be a bootloader problem. Have you tried upgrading from a 2.1.X install?

Steve

[power_matz]

Hi,
just installed a fresh 2.1.5 with the same result. No output from the serial console. What do you mean with enable serial output? When booting from the watch guard CF card serial output works.
It is the same HD like before (with 2.1). I install in a virtual machine then going to the firebox.

Matthias

[power_matz]

OK, found the problem. Either it was a USB adaptor for installing the HD or the virtual machine software.

I switched to real hardware, now it works!

[stephenw10]

Ok, cool.
The standard full install to a hard drive doesn't use the serial console by default. You have to either select the embedded kernel by default or enable  the serial console in the advanced option in the webgui to see it. You do see something though on the serial port though even without enabling it.

Steve

[dig1234]

+1 on the red paint job  :)
So whats the status on the old watchdog timeouts issue with the realtek nics, has anyone noticed improvement on 2.2 with it's upgrade to freeBSD 10? I have one sitting in a closet offline bc of that issue.

[power_matz]

@stephenw10:

Ok, cool.
The standard full install to a hard drive doesn't use the serial console by default.

I used the embedded version, so serial port just works. Sorry for the missunderstanding.

Matthias

[kcallis]

@stephenw10:

You need to use the file:
/boot/loader.conf.local

The standard loader.conf file isn't copied across when you do a firmware update and can be overwritten.

However that log line about the cable is normal because it isn't an 80pin cable/connection. What do your boot logs actually show before it fails to boot?

Steve

I get the following: "DMA limited to UDMA33 controller found non-DMA66 cable"

Is there anyway to make this go away directly in the console? This never gets to the point that I can actually to the interface configuration!

[RickcJ7]

I just purchased a x700. Been following along and am installing pfSense 2.2.2 2g nano on a 2GB card. I am trying to get to the command line (OK) to get rid of the "DMA limited to UDMA33…" message, but when I get to this line:

Hit [Enter] to boot immediately, or any other key for command prompt.
Booting [/boot/kernel/kernel]...

I pressed all keys except Enter, the space bar, all letters, but it never goes to the OK prompt, just keeps booting. I'm using PuTTY with 115200, 8N1 on Com1. Do I need to press anything special to get to the prompt?

[stephenw10]

No, like it says any key should interrupt the bootloader.
Check your console cable is correct and not damaged etc.

Steve

[RickcJ7]

@stephenw10:

No, like it says any key should interrupt the bootloader.
Check your console cable is correct and not damaged etc.

Steve

Ah! Thank you. I just had to reseat my serial cable, and it start working. That was driving me nuts.

[sa_lontoc]

Hello to everybody..I successfully installed pfsense (from my limited understanding) to a firebox x1250e, I upgraded the CPU to Pentium M 1.7 and memory to 2Gig, PFsense is also running on 60Gig hard drive using the full version. I'm only running pfBlockerNG, LCDproc, Shellcmd and Filemanager. I tried squid, snort and squidguard but I'm having difficulty isolating false positive so I removed them.

My question is, what else do I need to add/removed from the settings below to get the max out of this box?

/boot/loader.conf.local

hw.msk.msi_disable=1
hw.pci.enable_msi=0
hw.pci.enable_msix=0
hint.p4tcc.0.disabled=1
hint.acpi_throttle.0.disabled=1

Command prompt:

/conf/WGXepc -l red_flash

/conf/WGXepc -l green

/conf/WGXepc -f 32

/usr/bin/nice -20 /usr/local/sbin/LCDd -r 0 -c /conf/LCDd.conf > /dev/null &

/usr/bin/nice -20 /usr/local/bin/lcdproc C L I T U &

[stephenw10]

This is the wrong thread. The X1250e is not the same series as the X700. Should be here: https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=20095.0

You don't need:

hw.pci.enable_msi=0
hw.pci.enable_msix=0

You have:

hw.msk.msi_disable=1

Which should be sufficient.

Steve

[datenheim]

Hello Everybody,

today I got my first Firebox X700 and a new CF Card but no serial cable at hand.

Therefore I'm stuck at configuring the trusted network right after first bootup.

I wonder if somebody could be so generous and provide an embedded image (2GB or 4GB) where at least this first step has already been done and connection via trusted port is possible?

Would really appreciate any help here. Probably there is also another way to get the interface up without the serial cable?

Thank you :)
Regards, Stefan

[michel-f]

@datenheim:

Hello Everybody,

today I got my first Firebox X700 and a new CF Card but no serial cable at hand.

Therefore I'm stuck at configuring the trusted network right after first bootup.

I wonder if somebody could be so generous and provide an embedded image (2GB or 4GB) where at least this first step has already been done and connection via trusted port is possible?

Would really appreciate any help here. Probably there is also another way to get the interface up without the serial cable?

Thank you :)
Regards, Stefan

Yesterday I was initially configured pfSense on Firebox Core (Firebox X1000), and made CF 4Gb backup.

Download link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9r2fjbck1bc82u4/2016-04-17%20-%20Firebox%20-%20pfSense%202.2.6%20%28LCDproc%20%2B%20Arm%20LED%29.7z?dl=0

Configuration:
pfSense 2.2.6 x86 Embedded, 4Gb image.
Fixed UDMA issue, installed and configured LCDproc, instaled driver for control Arm/Disarm LED.

Port 0: WAN, Port 5: LAN (DHCP server), Port 1-4: OPT1-OPT4 (without configuration).

Login/password: admin / pfsense

Don't recommend update to 2.3 - for me it make impossible package installation (probably, rights issue).