PFSense on a DEC3840 (Netboard A20)

bpl294

I have been trying to install PFSense on this device for a couple hours now, i cant get it to go. I have tried PFSense 2.5.2 and 2.6. I am trying to installing on a NVME, i have tried SATA as well. I am getting a "can't find '/etc/hostid'" and "can't find '/boot/entropy". I do not see any option to enable CSM in the InsydeH20 bios. Thanks in advance...

stephenw10

@bpl294 said in PFSense on a DEC3840 (Netboard A20):

I am getting a "can't find '/etc/hostid'" and "can't find '/boot/entropy"

Both those are normal console messages and would not stop it booting.

Are you unable to boot the installer or the resulting install?

What install image are you using exactly?

How are you connected to the device?

Steve

bpl294

@stephenw10 I am using the memstick serial image. As this box does not have any video out. I installed PF on the drive using a VM and a usb to nvme adapter with no problem. When i connect it to the DEC3840 i get the following error and it doesnt go any further:

This is what is seen when loading:

stephenw10

That's the last thing you see before it loads the loader values. So that will happen if those values change the console baud rate or the port it's listening on.
Did you set it up on the VM using a serial console?

Can you not boot the USB installer on the device itself?

Steve

bpl294

@stephenw10 no i installed PF on the drive with the dvd iso on the VM, i see that isnt serial or vga specific, i can try installing it with a usb serial image next.

I can't boot to my install thumb drive, I get the same behavior when attempting to boot directly from the USB on the 3840. it just stalls at that screen.

bpl294

@stephenw10 after some tweaking in the bios and using a sata m.2 drive, i am able to get OPNSense installed, but PFSense still hangs...

stephenw10

If you install from ISO in a VM you would need to at least enable the serial console there before moving the drive across.

Are you sure you used the memstick serial image when you booted on it directly?
Are you connected to it at 115200bps?

It may have an uncommon serial port location. Check what loader values opn puts on there. They may be enabling the console on com2 for example.

Steve

bpl294

@stephenw10 Yes i am positive I used the memstick serial version of the image, I created a build stick multiple times on different thumb drives, same issue.

Yes I have putty set to com6 115200 8n1.

I found this link showing what OPNSense is using for a serial connection, it looks pretty similar to PFSense's documentation:

https://docs.opnsense.org/manual/how-tos/serial_access.html

https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/hardware/connect-to-console.html

stephenw10

Both of those are are for generic serial consoles. But, for example, out RCC-VE devices from some years ago require a special installer because the console there in on com2.
The output you're seeing there implies that device also requires some custom loader values because as soon as it loads the default values it stops showing anything.

If there is anything special required it would be in /boot/loader.conf or /boot/loader.conf.local in the opn install.

Steve

bpl294

@stephenw10 forgive me, but what is the best way to view the contents of a img file?

After writing to a thumb drive, i am unable to see the contents of it.

stephenw10

I would install from it, then check the loader files in the resulting install.

Steve

bpl294

@stephenw10 below is the opnsense loader.conf after a serial install. do you notice anything that PFSense does differently?

##############################################################
This file was auto-generated using the rc.loader facility. 
In order to deploy a custom change to this installation,   
please use /boot/loader.conf.local as it is not rewritten, 
or better yet use System: Settings: Tunables from the GUI. 
##############################################################

loader_brand="opnsense"
loader_logo="hourglass"
loader_menu_title=""

autoboot_delay="3"

- Vital modules that are not in FreeBSD's GENERIC
- configuration will be loaded on boot, which makes
- races with individual module's settings impossible.
carp_load="YES"
if_bridge_load="YES"
if_enc_load="YES"
if_gif_load="YES"
if_gre_load="YES"
if_lagg_load="YES"
if_tap_load="YES"
if_tun_load="YES"
if_vlan_load="YES"
pf_load="YES"
pflog_load="YES"
pfsync_load="YES"

- dynamically generated console settings follow
comconsole_speed="115200"
#boot_multicons
boot_serial="YES"
#kern.vty
console="comconsole"

- dynamically generated tunables settings follow
hw.ibrs_disable="0"
hw.ixl.enable_head_writeback="0"
hw.syscons.kbd_reboot="0"
hw.uart.console="io:0x3f8,br:115200"
kern.ipc.maxsockbuf="4262144"
kern.randompid="347"
net.enc.in.ipsec_bpf_mask="2"
net.enc.in.ipsec_filter_mask="2"
net.enc.out.ipsec_bpf_mask="1"
net.enc.out.ipsec_filter_mask="1"
net.inet.icmp.drop_redirect="1"
net.inet.icmp.icmplim="0"
net.inet.icmp.log_redirect="0"
net.inet.icmp.reply_from_interface="1"
net.inet.ip.accept_sourceroute="0"
net.inet.ip.intr_queue_maxlen="1000"
net.inet.ip.portrange.first="1024"
net.inet.ip.random_id="1"
net.inet.ip.redirect="0"
net.inet.ip.sourceroute="0"
net.inet.tcp.blackhole="2"
net.inet.tcp.delayed_ack="0"
net.inet.tcp.drop_synfin="1"
net.inet.tcp.log_debug="0"
net.inet.tcp.recvspace="65228"
net.inet.tcp.sendspace="65228"
net.inet.tcp.syncookies="1"
net.inet.tcp.tso="1"
net.inet.udp.blackhole="1"
net.inet.udp.checksum="1"
net.inet.udp.maxdgram="57344"
net.inet6.ip6.prefer_tempaddr="0"
net.inet6.ip6.redirect="1"
net.inet6.ip6.use_tempaddr="0"
net.link.bridge.pfil_bridge="0"
net.link.bridge.pfil_local_phys="0"
net.link.bridge.pfil_member="1"
net.link.bridge.pfil_onlyip="0"
net.link.tap.user_open="1"
net.local.dgram.maxdgram="8192"
security.bsd.see_other_gids="0"
security.bsd.see_other_uids="0"
vfs.read_max="32"
vm.pmap.pti="1"

stephenw10

The only thing there is this:

hw.uart.console="io:0x3f8,br:115200"

But that's the expected default value.

Is there a loader.conf.local?

bpl294

@stephenw10 these are all the files that begin with "loader", i dont see a loader.conf.local

stephenw10

What's in device.hints? You can see it's loading that too.

Steve

bpl294

@stephenw10

# $FreeBSD$
hint.fdc.0.at="isa"
hint.fdc.0.port="0x3F0"
hint.fdc.0.irq="6"
hint.fdc.0.drq="2"
hint.fd.0.at="fdc0"
hint.fd.0.drive="0"
hint.fd.1.at="fdc0"
hint.fd.1.drive="1"
hint.atkbdc.0.at="isa"
hint.atkbdc.0.port="0x060"
hint.atkbd.0.at="atkbdc"
hint.atkbd.0.irq="1"
hint.psm.0.at="atkbdc"
hint.psm.0.irq="12"
hint.sc.0.at="isa"
hint.sc.0.flags="0x100"
hint.uart.0.at="isa"
hint.uart.0.port="0x3F8"
hint.uart.0.flags="0x10"
hint.uart.0.irq="4"
hint.uart.1.at="isa"
hint.uart.1.port="0x2F8"
hint.uart.1.irq="3"
hint.ppc.0.at="isa"
hint.ppc.0.irq="7"
hint.atrtc.0.at="isa"
hint.atrtc.0.port="0x70"
hint.atrtc.0.irq="8"
hint.attimer.0.at="isa"
hint.attimer.0.port="0x40"
hint.attimer.0.irq="0"
hint.acpi_throttle.0.disabled="1"
hint.p4tcc.0.disabled="1"

stephenw10

Hmm, nothing unusual there either.....

bpl294

@stephenw10 do you have any other idea why the installer won't load? Is there any bios settings i should look for? Is there anyway to do a more verbose install?

stephenw10

You can interrupt the boot loader just before it gets to that point and force it to boot verbose at the prompt:

OK> boot -v

What NICs does that have?
If you install to the SSD in something else then move that across before the first boot it will come up normally if there is a profile for the NICs. So you would be able to hit the webgui even if the console doesn't work.

Steve

bpl294

@stephenw10 It has 4 Intel I210s and 2 AMD SFP+ ports. OPNSense looks like it load the ax drivers for them. Does PFSense support those? I can try disabling them in the bios for the PF install.

I installed pf on a donor machine and put the drive in the DEC3840, same issue. It hangs on loading the kernel. I tried disabling the SFP+ ports as well, no change in outcome.