pfSense hyper-v install crashes when attempting to format disk

DrSimplex · Mar 3, 2025, 6:42 AM

Hi all,

Running into an issue during install while following these guides on installing and running pfSense on Hyper-V

When I get to the disk partitioning stage, I do not get a chance to select a disk, and choosing any configuration of the disk format and type will always crash the install. Anything I could be doing differently? Running Gen 2, since that is what the guide says. Set disk to 10GB, but when I look into it the number is 25GB...

stephenw10 · Mar 3, 2025, 10:55 AM

What disk do you have configured for the VM?

Check the boot logs from the installer, do you see the drive shown correctly?

DrSimplex · Mar 3, 2025, 2:36 PM

@stephenw10 thanks for replying! I've tried a fixed and a dynamic .vhdx virtual disk, as I read having too large a disk (above 20gb) could lead to problems like this.

I'm also very new to freebsd, so I haven't figured out how to browse to the install-log.txt file yet. Been trying to use what I know with Linux to browse there but it's not quite the same, haven't read how to do that yet.

stephenw10 · Mar 3, 2025, 1:04 PM

If the installer fails you should be to drop to the shell. Then at the command line just run dmesg. That should show you the drive detected at boot.

For example:

[admin@plusdev-2.stevew.lan]/root: dmesg | grep ada0
ada0 at ahcich0 bus 0 scbus2 target 0 lun 0
ada0: <QEMU HARDDISK 2.5+> ATA-7 SATA device
ada0: Serial Number QM00005
ada0: 150.000MB/s transfers (SATA 1.x, UDMA5, PIO 8192bytes)
ada0: Command Queueing enabled
ada0: 10240MB (20971520 512 byte sectors)

Bob.Dig · Mar 3, 2025, 2:51 PM

@DrSimplex Maybe don't use RDP for this. Maybe don't use hyper-v in the first place because you seem new to not only FreeBSD but everything. I installed it the other week, worked like expected.

stephenw10 · Mar 3, 2025, 3:19 PM

It should work. RDP or not!

DrSimplex · Mar 3, 2025, 3:19 PM

@stephenw10 yes, I'm seeing the drive show up here, so that's not an issue at least from what I can tell. It at least sees the drive

This is on the current version of pfsense off of the main website, I'd try an older version incase it is a bug but I don't see they officially host previous versions anywhere.

stephenw10 · Mar 3, 2025, 3:21 PM

What version of pfSense are you trying to install?

It just never shows a drive selection?

DrSimplex · Mar 3, 2025, 3:21 PM

@stephenw10 Yeah RDP would not be the reason for this. It's purely just an install format issue onto hyper-v. I knew that it'd be more of a tedious process... But I want a lab first before I deploy

stephenw10 · Mar 3, 2025, 3:23 PM

If you're installing 2.7.2 then try the legacy ISO installer.

DrSimplex · Mar 3, 2025, 3:27 PM

@stephenw10 Nice! Yes, this is my attempt with 2.7.2. I've been looking for something legacy to try and troubleshoot with, I'll give that a go. Thanks!

And no, it never offers for me to select a drive. Some forums I've seen say it is trying to install on my installation media, but I don't really get a chance to choose one or the other. :/

DrSimplex · Mar 3, 2025, 3:44 PM

@DrSimplex Perfect that legacy installer you linked to worked just fine Seeing through the rest of setup but its weird that the current version from netgate was just not working

stephenw10 · Mar 3, 2025, 4:31 PM

Yup that is odd. I'll try to get a test to replicate it though AFAIK it's already tested....

DrSimplex · Mar 3, 2025, 5:41 PM

@stephenw10 Sounds good, I'd imagine it would have been tested as well. I believe it could also have something to do with windows updates, I read another bug report that a KB update was causing issues with the install process for Hyper-V specifically... this was I think 2019 tho? Old news :/

So far so good with the install, will check tonight to see where we're at :)

DrSimplex · Mar 4, 2025, 5:28 AM

@stephenw10 said in pfSense hyper-v install crashes when attempting to format disk:

If you're installing 2.7.2 then try the legacy ISO installer.

So, honestly after a bit of troubleshooting I am getting logged into the web console for pfsense! The legacy ISO installer really just walked through formatting the drive, then the rest of setup for the network card I have was pretty straightforward over a terminal. Forgot I had my LAN port still set to a virtual one in the Hyper-V Switch Manager so that took me a second to remember

Again, not exactly sure why it wouldn't let me choose a disk to format with the original. I didn't change any of my Hyper-V settings, just swapped out the ISO. This is running 2.7.2, I know you mentioned that is the legacy ISO, am I good to just run with where I'm at?

stephenw10 · Mar 4, 2025, 1:15 PM

Yes, the resulting install is identical. You should be good to go.

We re-tested the Net Installer here and were able to install in Hyper-V OK so I'm not sure what happened there. Must be something slightly different with your setup.

DrSimplex · Mar 4, 2025, 1:55 PM

@stephenw10 there must be something different I guess, but again I didn't change anything between the regular GUI installer and the legacy installer. Hopefully this was just a me issue this time. Really appreciate your help!

Where does one access the legacy iso for future reference?

stephenw10 · Mar 4, 2025, 2:15 PM

At the mirror I linked above. That's the only location it's hosed at netgate currently.

SteveITS · Mar 4, 2025, 6:19 PM

@DrSimplex said in pfSense hyper-v install crashes when attempting to format disk:

Set disk to 10GB, but when I look into it the number is 25GB

As I understand it ZFS on a dynamically expanding disk will eventually use all of the disk size due to how it works. Options would be a small/fixed disk, or UFS.

DrSimplex · Mar 4, 2025, 6:54 PM

@SteveITS I agree, I thought that may have been an issue so I restarted the VM setup ensuring the disk was fixed at, I think I set 15GB? Still ran into the same original issue where it wouldn't format initially.