2.7.2 Fresh install fails: "Failed to run the post installation script"

nalims

I'm trying to install pfsense CE 2.7.2 on a Protectli vault (FW4C) with coreboot. I created a bootable USB with the AMD64 version.

I manage to go through the installation wizard, setting up the NIC and connecting to the internet seems to work and I can chose between different pfsense CE versions to install.

The process seems to work fine, it pulls and installs some packages, but then in the end I get a pop-up saying:
"The installation has failed!
The system is NOT installed.
Please check the installation log in [install-log.txt]"

I'm not familiar enough with these logs but I found some interesting lines:

[1/1] Installing pkg-1.20.8_3...
[1/1] Extracting pkg-1.20.8_3: .......... done
pkg-static: POST-INSTALL script failed
/bin/sh: /usr/sbin/certctl: not found

[23/169] Extracting perl5-5.34.1_3: .......... done
/bin/sh: makewhatis: not found
/bin/sh: makewhatis: not found
pkg-static: POST-INSTALL script failed

and in the very end:

pfSense Post Installation setup .. efibootmgr: efi_get_variable: Bad address
efibootmgr: efi_get_variable: Bad address
Failed to run the post installation script.

Does anybody have an idea what's going wrong here?

Feedback very much appreciated!

Best

nalims

stephenw10

Is your system booting uefi?

Which installer are you using there?

That error was previously seen when upgrading a system that has an efi partition but is not actually booting UEFI.

Steve

nalims

@stephenw10

Thanks dor your reply!

My system is booting Coreboot, which is not exactly UEFI if my understanding is correct.
I'm using the "AMD64 Memstick USB" installer from the official Netgate download page.

stephenw10

Do you have the last part of the log showing which pkg is attempting to run the efibootmgr function?

nalims

the full log is attached as a file to the original post. or do you mean something different?

stephenw10

Doh! Missed that. Thanks!

stephenw10

Does it actually boot into 2.7.2 OK after that?

It's likely failing because the UEFI implementation in Coreboot doesn't allow setting variables via efibootmgr. But if the variable already exists, or the bios automatically generates one, it should boot anyway.

nalims

I actually need to double check that. I was intimidated my the pop-up

"The installation has failed! The system is NOT installed"

I'll try tonight

stephenw10

Yeah, it shouldn't do that. We're looking into it now but I believe that's fixed in the next installer version.

nalims

So it actually boots into pfsense somewhat, I see the Welcome to pfSense page in the terminal.

When I press 1 for Boot Multi user [Enter] it loads some stuff but apparently fails to mount the disk:

[...]
Trying to mount root from zfs:pfSense/ROOT/default []...
Mounting from  zfs:pfSense/ROOT/default failed with error 2: unknown file system.
[...]

And then it drops me to a mountroot> command line interface.

stephenw10

Hmm, maybe didn't add the required loader values because it aborted the script.

Try escaping to the OK> prompt at the boot loader and then entering:

load /boot/kernel/kernel
load /boot/kernel/opensolaris.ko
load /boot/kernel/zfs.ko
boot

If that successfully boots you can add those variables to the loader file.

nalims

Wow, this worked! <3

I was able to boot to pfSense 2.7.2, and I'm getting an ip on the LAN, awesome!

Could you tell me how I can add those (which exactly?) variables to the loader file?

stephenw10

Ok check the file: /boot/loader.conf

Those values may already have been added by pfSense when it booted. It should contain the lines:

opensolaris_load="YES"
zfs_load="YES"

If not add them there.

nalims

Wonderful, thank you very much!

Frequency

Hello,

Thank you for the help so far. I've also got a similar issue, a Protectli FW4C device with Coreboot bios which finished it's installation with the same error message "Failed to run post installation script".
' Install error.jpg

I am using the default required boot option, ZFS so doubt its a UEFI issue.

I have managed to boot the machine by exiting from the pfsense autoselect options and then running Stephenw10's commands as per Using boot commands provided.jpg

When editing the /boot/loader.conf to add the two lines below or as suggested in the /default/loader.conf file, creating a new /boot/loader.conf.local file with just the two lines the Normal reboot still fails to autoboot to pfsense and gets stuck on Mountroot>

Reboot even with loader.conf file settings set.jpg

opensolaris_load="YES"
zfs_load="YES"

Happy to provide any log files required, unfortunately I cannot find the install-log.txt file in the /tmp/ directory now pfsense is installed, hence the screenshots.

Am I editing the wrong file, or missing something? Adding the two lines hasn't fixed the automatic boot to pfsense.

Thank you

stephenw10

Do you see it loading those modules at boot? Should show at the console before the kernel loads.

Frequency

@stephenw10 This is what I see at boot - Kernel and Solaris.ko seem to be there, but not ZFS_ ?

Boot modules.jpg

Frequency

OK I shall admit the problem is between the chair and the keyboard. Happy Monday.

Looked at the zfs line, and had _Load instead of _load.

Capital latter=problem in linux world. Excuse my windows background ;-)

Thanks @stephenw10 !

stephenw10

Cool. Easy fix!

robboroom

@stephenw10 said in 2.7.2 Fresh install fails: "Failed to run the post installation script":

Ok check the file: /boot/loader.conf

Those values may already have been added by pfSense when it booted. It should contain the lines:
opensolaris_load="YES"
zfs_load="YES"
If not add them there.

Hi, new here, exact same problem as topic starter, also on protectli vault.
Apparently the new installer isn't here.

I am a n00b at Pfsense, just getting my feet wet, so please forgive my noobness.
But how do I edit the /boot/loader.conf file?