pfSense won't boot unless I manually interrupt the boot process and change the console to VGA

thearamadon · Mar 11, 2022, 5:41 PM

I'm running 2.6.0 (upgraded over time from roughly 2.3.X) on some old consumer desktop hardware (AMD). If I need to reboot pfSense for whatever reason, it always fails. My typical boot time is on the order of 2-3min, and I can leave it for >15min and it never comes up. The keyboard that's plugged in is also totally non-responsive (numlock/capslock don't toggle).

If I plug in a monitor, I can interrupt the boot process, change the console from serial to VGA (by pressing 5) and the boot completes normally. In fact, I don't really need the monitor if I can time the keystrokes right by memory (space to interrupt, 5 to switch console, and enter to boot). I have a feeling that it's because this motherboard doesn't have a serial port. Unfortunately, with no serial port and no VGA console output, I can't actually debug the problem.

There is no log output whatsoever for these failed boots.

I already set primary console to VGA in System->Advanced, but it seems that doesn't take on boot. I know I did originally install with the VGA console version.

Does anyone know how I might be able to solve this? I'm hoping there's an easy way to edit the boot parameters

stephenw10 · Mar 11, 2022, 5:57 PM

Is the serial console enabled in Sys > Adv > Admin Access? Disable it if it is.

Look in /boot/loader.conf to see what is actually set. However you can't just edit that file, it will be overwritten next time you make a change.

Steve

thearamadon · Mar 11, 2022, 6:11 PM

@stephenw10

Serial console is disabled.

Here's my loader.conf:

kern.cam.boot_delay=10000
kern.ipc.nmbclusters="1000000"
kern.ipc.nmbjumbop="524288"
kern.ipc.nmbjumbo9="524288"
autoboot_delay="3"
hw.hn.vf_transparent="0"
hw.hn.use_if_start="1"
net.link.ifqmaxlen="128"

I'm not super familiar with the options but it doesn't seem to have any of the console ones...

stephenw10 · Mar 11, 2022, 6:23 PM

@thearamadon said in pfSense won't boot unless I manually interrupt the boot process and change the console to VGA:

it doesn't seem to have any of the console ones...

I agree.

Ok, so if you do nothing where does it stop booting?

And you are simply pressing 5 at the loader menu?
Rather than setting console=vidconsole?
https://docs.netgate.com/pfsense/en/latest/troubleshooting/boot-issues.html#booting-with-an-alternate-console

Could be a uefi console issue. Or a video hardware issue. What hardware is it?

Steve

thearamadon · Mar 11, 2022, 6:31 PM

@stephenw10 said in pfSense won't boot unless I manually interrupt the boot process and change the console to VGA:

Ok, so if you do nothing where does it stop booting?

Unfortunately I can't tell exactly because there's no output to observe. The main booting screen (where you can hit spacebar to interrupt) displays briefly. Probably for the 3 second autoboot delay. Shortly after that, the keyboard goes unresponsive. My guess is that it's trying to open a serial port that doesn't exist.

It's running on a Gigabyte F2A88XM-D3H with an AMD A10-7890K CPU. The GPU is integrated.

stephenw10 · Mar 11, 2022, 7:30 PM

Ok, well what's the last thing you see?

Just the BIOS output?

You must be able to see the boot loader since you can interrupt it.

Steve

thearamadon · Mar 11, 2022, 7:32 PM

Yes, the last thing I see is the boot loader (slightly different version of this)

stephenw10 · Mar 11, 2022, 7:40 PM

So how different? I assume that's not your device?

Try interrupting the bootloader and hitting esc to reach the prompt and then run:

set console=vidconsole
boot

If that works you can just add that line to /boot/loader.conf.local.

Steve

thearamadon · Mar 12, 2022, 5:59 AM

@stephenw10 said in pfSense won't boot unless I manually interrupt the boot process and change the console to VGA:

So how different? I assume that's not your device?

Try interrupting the bootloader and hitting esc to reach the prompt and then run:
set console=vidconsole
boot
If that works you can just add that line to /boot/loader.conf.local.

Steve

I've included a picture of my actual menu below. Turns out the problem isn't console (which is set to efi), but actually that boot_serial=YES. If I do set boot_serial=NO, then it boots just fine. Unfortunately, adding that to /boot/loader.conf.local doesn't work, nor does adding unset boot_serial. So either its not taking that file, or the problem is happening before the file is loaded.

What's the right way to change this?

stephenw10 · Mar 12, 2022, 2:25 PM

What exactly did you put in the file? You don't include 'set' there.

thearamadon · Mar 12, 2022, 5:27 PM

@stephenw10 said in pfSense won't boot unless I manually interrupt the boot process and change the console to VGA:

What exactly did you put in the file? You don't include 'set' there.

I tried both set boot_serial=NO and unset boot_serial. Both of these work if I enter them directly into the boot console, but not if I add them to the file

stephenw10 · Mar 12, 2022, 7:46 PM

Neither would work in the file, it should be just:

boot_serial=NO

Steve

thearamadon · Jun 3, 2022, 8:14 PM

@stephenw10 said in pfSense won't boot unless I manually interrupt the boot process and change the console to VGA:

Neither would work in the file, it should be just:
boot_serial=NO
Steve

That did the trick! Thanks so much for the help.

nielsjlarsen · Jun 3, 2022, 8:15 PM

@thearamadon and @stephenw10

I have the exact same issue. Also running 2.6 on x86 hardware.
It's normally working perfectly, however for some reason we've had a few power outages lately and every time pfSense powers up again I need to manually power off, break the boot sequence (press space) and change the console to VGA (press 5) and continue with the boot process (press Enter).
If I do nothing it just freezes, black screen and no action on any keyboard input.

After getting fed up with this I researched and thought I might've installed the memstick serial image by mistake, so I downloaded the memstick VGA image and did a fresh install.
I see the same behaviour with a completely fresh VGA install, with nothing more than assigning the adapters i.e. no restore from backup.

I've tried adding boot_serial=NO in /boot/loader.conf.local with no luck.
I've also tried reaching the prompt in the bootloader and run:

set console=vidconsole

but it fails and tells me there's no vidconsole, but efi and a few other options, none of which sound right.

I've also tried assigning the VGA console as the primary console in the GUI and although this setting is persistent after a reboot, it changes nothing.

Any help appreciated as I'm traveling more and more for work and I know I'll have a priority 1 incident if "the WiFi" fails while I'm away from home and my teens cannot watch TikTok etc..

stephenw10 · Jun 3, 2022, 8:53 PM

It probably is an efi console. What does the menu entry say?

nielsjlarsen · Jun 3, 2022, 9:55 PM

@stephenw10

What menu entry do you mean?
In the boot options or in the web GUI?

I've tried using efi console, but it doesn't work.

stephenw10 · Jun 4, 2022, 8:31 AM

I mean what does menu option 5 in the loader show when you select it?

SeaMonkey · Jun 4, 2022, 2:54 AM

@stephenw10 Thanks! I was suffering from the same issue.

nielsjlarsen · Jun 4, 2022, 8:31 AM

@stephenw10

When it boots it's set to serial regardless of the settings I've played with in loader.conf.local or in the console settings in the GUI.
I have to change that to video to be able to boot successfully.

stephenw10 · Jun 4, 2022, 1:01 PM

So the menu shows option 5 as 'serial' and you press it to change to 'video' and then it boots correctly?

What do you have in loader.conf and loader.conf.local?

Steve