Installation of 2.2.6 on pcengines apu2b4

[davorin]

Seems they shipped the apu2b4 with the BIOS version only being able to boot from SD card…

And ths information I only got after I asked support again as they just asked questions without answering until this morning...

[-flo- 0]

This is weird. Release notes on the pcengines website:

BIOS is not feature complete yet, in particular -
• No boot from SD card.
[…]

:o

(Source: http://www.pcengines.ch/apu2b4.htm)

[mrpink]

Flash the BIOS to boot from mSATA from this page: http://pcengines.ch/howto.php#bios

[mrpink]

I just installed pfSense 2.3 on an APU2B4.  :D

[ctirado]

Very nice! Would you mind keeping us posted on performance etc or any other quirks you find with the APU2B4? The combination of 3 intel ports + AES + fanless + usually lower price of AMD processors will probably make this a popular platform.

Carlos

[matrix200]

Would you recommend this model over their apu1d /apu4d?
The price appears to be the same and I need to make a decision now to put a new fw in place for an installation to serve ~10 servers with a 20/20 mbit line.
The main question I guess is the nic support in 2.2.x branch as I don't feel comfortable running a beta version in a production environment.

[adeej]

Hi to all,
i have problems to install pfsense on my new apu2b4.
I followed this guide
http://www.get-virtual.net/2014/09/16/build-firewall-appliance/

installed TinyCore Linux on usb stick -> ok
from putty opened serial console 115200 81N -> ok
started apu2b4 -> ok
updated bios to the latest version (apu2_160120) -> ok
boot sequence is ok (usb1 - usb2 - m-sata)

downloaded pfsense 2.2.6(install) - amd64/live Cd installer on memory stick/serial -> ok
wrote image on usb stick with "win32 disk imager" -> ok
from putty opened serial console 9600 81N -> ok

---

started apu2b4 -> I saw strange chars on serial console and not pfsense install menù

---

I tried to change usb stick, format(fat32) with "HP disk storage format tool" and then write image with "win32 disk imager"
retried with same result

what's wrong?

[mrpink]

The default baud rate for alix boards is 38400,8n1 and for apu boards 115200,8n1.

Check also the howto: http://pcengines.ch/howto.htm#serialconsole

And for pfsense also 115200,8n1, see here https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Connecting_to_the_Serial_Console#Terminal_Settings

[adeej]

@mrpink:

The default baud rate for alix boards is 38400,8n1 and for apu boards 115200,8n1.

Check also the howto: http://pcengines.ch/howto.htm#serialconsole

And for pfsense also 115200,8n1, see here https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Connecting_to_the_Serial_Console#Terminal_Settings

Thanks,
solved with serial console 115200 81N.

[alex84]

Hi im very interested in performance numbers / benchmark of the new apu2 unit. Specially ipsec aes-ni performance.
Could you do some testing and post it? =)

BR Alex