MBT-4220 Restoring from install media
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I tried to upgrade from 2.4.5-p3 to 2.5.0 and it went horribly wrong from the start.
- The new kernel and UEFI would stop after failing to find /etc/hostid
- PHP-FPM core'd and filled up /var/run which caused package installs to fail
- Rebooting to kernel.old permitted to boot but the PHP-FPM would always core.
So I've downloaded the install image for 2.4.5-p3 but the minnowboard MBT-4220 want to install from console and not the video/keyboard.
I did backup the configuration and have other things saved off the device from before the upgrade, so I'm in kind of a decent position as long as I can convince the MBT to use the video.
Is there a way to mount the usb filesystem and change a setting? Which file and which setting?
Perhaps my next bet is to download 2.5.0 and see if it'll really work or not. Comments?
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@smnolde Ok, so I jumped the shark and went for a 2.5.0 memstick install, installed, and restored my saved configuration.... seems good so far. Packages are updating. Some errors are noted relating to ssh-keygen and pfB_DNSBLIP.
Only the LAN side is plugged in and the LAN goes through a backup wifi access point for which it is the temporary router.
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@smnolde Update: the package installation mentioned above couldn't go through because the WAN side was disconnected (because my backup wifi router was in place). Once putting the MBT-4220 back as the wifi router and rebooting that and the cable modem the MBT was back up and running.
I then installed the packages manually and restored the configs via the backup configuration. After that all services were back online and now I'm at 2.5.0.
I'll keep my eye out for any other hiccups.
I still like my MBT-4220 and many thanks for the pfSense team for the documentation and simplicity in making backups and restoring configurations.
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I had a similar experience, but never did get 2.5.0 to boot. First tried the upgrade path and then a new install from scratch with a memstick image. Same result with both approaches: FreeBSD hangs at the same place early in the boot process, just before the first message about KDB (only a few lines after @smnoide’s “can’t find /etc/hostid”, which I think is not the issue). I saved my console log and will post it here later. I had to fall back to 2.4.5_p1. (The config.xml recovery process works great — so thankful for that!). I had little prior experience with the UEFI boot process on the MBT-4220 and having to hit DEL and then ESC quickly in order to get to the right menu took a little practice. Plus I created my memstick image using a MacBookPro and the Netgate docs are out of date on how to correctly do that. At any rate, successfully downgraded and will let others figure out why 2.5.0 doesn’t run on the Minnowboard Turbot MBT-4220.
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@trickyt I had to specifically locate a console memstick image so I had use of the keyboard. I made no changes to the UEFI settings, just boot the memstick.
I used rufus to make the memstick image to an 8G stick I sacrificed. If anything, find a windows friend to make you a console memstick and try to boot it. If you can boot the memstick I'm sure you can do a fresh install and upgrade to 2.5.0.
My findings were a little surprising and disappointing at the same time but was able to locate and install fresh from a memstick. Other than that I've had no upsets using the MBT-4220, and even successfully configured wireguard.
Don't give up yet on 2.5.0.
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@smnolde Perhaps I wasn't clear in my post, but I successfully created a memstick image and installed the image on my MBT-4220. But then when trying to boot the kernel just hangs after being loaded. At any rate, since this is apparently a different problem than you were having I started a new thread. It's here: https://forum.netgate.com/topic/161695/2-5-0-hangs-during-boot-on-mbt-4220
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As a Mac user here, I find it much better to use BelenaEtcher to make/flash a bootable memstick and when selecting pick the VGA 64bit version. You should not have any problems. I also found for pfSense it's best to select legacy boot with GPT instead of UEFI boot on Windows based hardware,
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@nollipfsense Great tip about balenaEtcher! I use that when making images for Raspberry Pi's but just didn't think of it for the MBT-4220. I'll use it next time.
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@trickyt I think the issue is the console mode requirement. I did not want it since I use a USB keyboard and the HDMI output and do not have the means for an old-fashioned serial interface. When I realized the box was doing bad things with the console I looked for a regular memstick image which defaults to using the USB keyboard and HDMI display - what worked for me was the regular memstick image.
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@trickyt I used good old "dd" on my Mac and it does the job every time. balenaEtcher is probably safer from typos however.
