Installing pfSense on SmoothWall Appliances

usaiat

Thanks @stephenw10. So probably I'm using the wrong image or something Im missing on the BIOS setting ? I've tried the ISO on USB and also pfSense-CE-memstick-serial-2.4.4-RELEASE-p3-amd64.img written to the USB flash drive with Rufus without much luck.

stephenw10

Use the CE memstick-serial image and write it with Etcher.

Do you see anything on the serial port? Does it have a VGA port you could use?

Steve

usaiat

@stephenw10 Thanks. Yes I can see things via the serial port. That was how I access the BIOS and change the boot order. It has the slot but doesn't have VGA card

stephenw10

Is it even trying to boot the USB stick then? Or just fail to find anything to boot?

I expect it to see the USB image as HDD rather than a FDD.

Steve

usaiat

@stephenw10 That, I'm not sure but I can see that it detects the USB FD attached. Here is my first few boot-up screen. If I press any key itll continue with smoothwall, but if I ESC itll redirect me to a menu to choose "SmoothWall-smp" or "SmoothWall-up" or "C" to access GRUB

   Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG, An Energy Star Ally
   Copyright (C) 1984-2006, Phoenix Technologies, LTD

8A820 Ver.A12.10.0

Main Processor : Intel(R) 2.12GHz(266x8.0)
Memory Testing : 2088960K OK +  8M shared memory
CPU Brand Name : Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU          6400  @ 2.13GH
EM64T CPU

  Memory Frequency For DDR2 667  (Dual Channel Mode Enabled)
Detecting IDE drives ...
IDE Channel 2 Master : None
IDE Channel 2 Slave  : Hitachi HTE722012K9A300 DCCOC76A
IDE Channel 3 Master : None
IDE Channel 3 Slave  : None
                           Phoenix Technologies, LTD
                             System Configurations
+==============================================================================+
| CPU Type          : Intel(R)            Base Memory       :    640K          |
| CPU ID/ucode ID   : 06F6/44             Extended Memory   :2087936K          |
| CPU Clock         : 2.12GHz             Cache Memory      :   2048K          |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Diskette Drive A  : None                Display Type      : EGA/VGA          |
| Diskette Drive B  : None                Serial Port(s)    : 3F8 2F8          |
| Pri. Master Disk  : None                Parallel Port(s)  : None             |
| Pri. Slave  Disk  : None                DDR2 at Bank(s)   : 0 2              |
| Sec. Master Disk  : None                                                     |
| Sec. Slave  Disk  : None                                                     |
+==============================================================================+

USB Storage Device : VerbatimSTORE N GO      PMAP...Full Speed device 1.X
IDE Channel 2 . Slave  Disk  : LBA,ATA 100,  120GB

PCI device listing ...
Bus No. Device No. Func No. Vendor/Device Class Device Class               IRQ
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    0       2         0     8086   2772   0300  Display Cntrlr               7
    0      29         0     8086   27C8   0C03  USB 1.0/1.1 UHCI Cntrlr     11
    0      29         1     8086   27C9   0C03  USB 1.0/1.1 UHCI Cntrlr     11
Press any key to continue.  8086   109A   0200  ACPI Controllertrlrtrlr      9
Press any key to continue.
Press any key to continue.
Press `ESC' to enter the menu... 0
  Booting 'SmoothWall-smp'

kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.32.26+drm33.12-3-smp root=UUID=dd4c6aa6-6828-11dd-8d88-ff86
85556314  console=tty0 console=ttyS0,9600n8
   [Linux-bzImage, setup=0x3400, size=0x1edc90]
initrd /initrd-2.6.32.26+drm33.12-3-smp.bz2
   [Linux-initrd @ 0x7f397000, 0x448088 bytes]

Linux version 2.6.32.26+drm33.12-3-smp (root@DSHBuild) (gcc version 3.3.5) #1 SMP Tue Dec 13 16:15:48 GMT 2011 ()
KERNEL supported cpus:
  Intel GenuineIntel
  AMD AuthenticAMD
  Cyrix CyrixInstead
  NSC Geode by NSC
  Centaur CentaurHauls
  Transmeta GenuineTMx86
  Transmeta TransmetaCPU
  UMC UMC UMC UMC
BIOS-provided physical RAM map:
 BIOS-e820: 0000000000000000 - 000000000009f400 (usable)
 BIOS-e820: 000000000009f400 - 00000000000a0000 (reserved)
 BIOS-e820: 00000000000f0000 - 0000000000100000 (reserved)
 BIOS-e820: 0000000000100000 - 000000007f7f0000 (usable)
 BIOS-e820: 000000007f7f0000 - 000000007f7f3000 (ACPI NVS)
 BIOS-e820: 000000007f7f3000 - 000000007f800000 (ACPI data)
 BIOS-e820: 00000000e0000000 - 00000000f0000000 (reserved)
 BIOS-e820: 00000000fec00000 - 0000000100000000 (reserved)

provels

Any SATA port options to connect a DVD/CD-ROM and select DVD/CD-ROM as boot device?

stephenw10

Seems like you might just need to change the boot order in the BIOS.

It's usually the TAB key to enter the BIOS setup via serial.

Or failing that try disconnecting the hard drive so it has no other boot options. That won't help you install but will prove it can boot from USB.

Steve

usaiat

@provels Let me try to attach that to the USB and see if I can boot from the CD ROM. Thanks by the way :)

usaiat

@stephenw10 Yeah, I've tried that with USB FDD as the 1st in the boot order then HDD as the 2nd boot order.

Let me try to disconnect the HDD. Thanks

provels

@usaiat Another option may be to use a second PC to install to the HDD, then put the HDD back in the Smoothwall. I did that way back when with my Nokia ip530 and pfSense 1.2.3. Ah, memories.

stephenw10

Yup, that would work. I've done that a few times. Though not with 1.2.3, I was all about Nano back then.

Steve

usaiat

@provels got it install that way :) Works now. Thanks

usaiat

@stephenw10 Thanks :) Work now