PfSense on FX5624

c_paul

Hi,

I am trying to install 1.2.3 release on to a Fabiatech FX5624.

The box has a CF reader on the motherboard but rather than use that, I am using a 250gig sata drive and leaving the CF empty. There is no evidence of the CF drive anywhere when there is no card in it and I can't disable it.

When I do a full install, I get it hanging as soon as you select to FreeBSD when it boots up. I have worked round this by disabling packet mode when setting up the boot block.

However, it now comes up with an error saying no /boot/loader as if it can't see the hard drive.

I have tried every permutation of bios setting, standard, IDE ACHI etc. and it either doesn't work at all or does the same thing. It works perfectly when running as LiveCD.

If I put a usb flash drive in the machine it gives an option to install to that (da0 instead of ad0). If I select to install on the hard drive (ad0), go all the way through, take the USB stick out and then reboot the machine, it boots up all the way until mounting the root file system and then gives an error "Manual root filesystem specification:". If I enter ufs:ad0s1a it boots up and works perfectly! This shows that the hard drive is clearly available and can be seen. I can't leave the USB stick in. If I do, it hangs at the boot loader screen.

I have had a look at /etc/fstab and it is listing /ad0s1a as the source for the root file system not da0 as I would suspect given the error.

Any ideas?

There must be an easier work around?

Thanks,

Chris
Dynamic Technical Concepts
http://www.dtcgroup.co.uk

c_paul

Update:

I have added the line vfs.root.mountfrom="ufs:ad0s1a" to /boot/loader.conf and it now works fine.

Can anyone give me some clue as to what is actually going on here?

This box is a new model that I suspect many people will buy. There MUST be a better way to install than this?

Thanks,

Chris

PS.

Instructions to install that work for me:

Run LiveCD with a blank USB stick in the front.
Select install to Hard Drive. When asked, select the hard drive ignoring the USB device.
When it asks about the boot blocks, disable packet mode. Disable everything on the USB stick as it is not needed.
When the device reboots at the end of the installation, power off and remove the USB stick. Power back on.
It now boots but stops and asks for the root filesystem. When prompted enter: "ufs:ad0s1a"
Follow normal install process.
Once it is running edit (either through the UI or through the shell) /boot/loader.conf and add the line:
vfs.root.mountfrom="ufs:ad0s1a"

All Done!

YMMV