USB / Memstick method using 2.01
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I have been delaying 2.x install because of previous issues I had with it, but when 2.01 came out I tried to perform an install using the memstick/usb method. I found issue with install still persists. Whether I use normal/usb/acpi off method, Memstick install will not go through and stop with CPU 1 or 2 or 3 error message. I went back and use the 1.2.3 USB method and worked like a charm. In my opinion, 1.2.3 is the current finest release at the moment. 2.x has 1 or 2 more release required to be in the realm of 1.2.3's rock solid functionality.
Based on all the 2.x install issue and problems littering the board, I am definitely not alone in this sentiment. pfSense is great, but 2.x is still cooking…
Happy New Year pfSense Team and thank you for your continued efforts!
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That's nothing more than a hardware-specific issue. We're not going to change base OS versions until 2.1 so you're going to be stuck until then. If you want to ensure your hardware is going to function in future releases, make sure it works with FreeBSD 9, and if it doesn't, report any issues upstream.
The "this new version isn't as good as the old version" gets old…it's only been happening since day one of the project's existence. Especially when it's as off base as needing "1 or 2 more releases" to fix a hardware-specific issue outside of our code base. A small number of people have said the same thing on every release we've ever done. Obviously that's not the sentiment of the vast majority since the project continues to grow by leaps and bounds in install base.
For anyone who actually might believe that - tens of thousands of systems have been upgraded, we're averaging around 4000 new live installs per month right now (virtually all 2.x), and only a few people have had issues. Any sufficiently widely used software is going to have regressions between releases that impact a minuscule fraction of a percent of the user base, we do everything we can to avoid it and generally do a good job (where it's within our control, hardware-specific issues are not, and issues caused by packages marked as being not stable and developed by outside contributors are not - those two cover virtually all 1.x to 2.x upgrade issues), but companies that have bigger monthly coffee budgets than our entire annual revenues have the same level of issues and worse at times. Just a fact of life.
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Here are quick facts:
1 - 1.2.3 works on more of the majority of the hardware out there just fine compared to 2.x
2 - Look at page of this board and count how many people have issues with 2.x (just even the first page), then try that with next 2-3 pages of the other section - what I state is fact.
I didn't say anything is wrong with 2.x, but compared to 1.2.3, 1.2.3 is better suited on more systems - fact. This is perhaps inherent to the FreeBSD version used by pfSense 2.x.
For the hardware I tried tested / tried this on: a SFF P4 from Dell and an Atom ITX board (HT enabled for both); hardly exotic hardware setups using Intel recommended gigabit nics. Works on 1.2.3 not 2.x for USB based installs; something basic as a USB install.
If anyone is having problems with USB install, try 1.2.3 on same system. I strongly support pfSense; however, for my setup / systems, 1.2.3 works just fine as opposed to 2.x. CMB, re-read, this about the USB based install primarily where I can not use CD Drive; I thought I titled the topic clearly.
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Here are quick facts:
1 - 1.2.3 works on more of the majority of the hardware out there just fine compared to 2.x
That's not a fact. There are countless 2.x users who cannot use 1.2.3 because their hardware isn't supported. People have been using 2.x for 2+ years without having any other option for that reason.
2 - Look at page of this board and count how many people have issues with 2.x (just even the first page), then try that with next 2-3 pages of the other section - what I state is fact.
Go look at Microsoft's forum and how many people have problems with Windows 7, by your logic it must be better to use Win2K because there isn't anyone reporting issues with it. Go look at any widely used software's forum, and you could mistakenly come to the same conclusion. The only software forums in the world you're going to find where no one has issues are ones where no one uses the software.
FreeBSD 8.1 probably has more hardware-specific regressions than any other base release change we've had, but it's nowhere near as bad as you make it out to be with blanket statements that no one should be using it when most installs are. We addressed several of those by back porting new drivers but that only covered a few cases. But we're still talking about a small fraction of a percent. Hopefully FreeBSD 9 will prove better, we'll have 2.1 snapshots out on it by the end of the month.
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Hope 2.1 is better on these standard machines. As for your comments, I have to agree with others in such places such as this - http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1137301 - too much "KoolAid" of your product. You have good product don't ruin it with those type of comments here and there…