Can't boot from last Embedded Snapshot

[bellera]

Hello!

My steps:

1.- A new CF card (in order to minimize my out-of-service time)
2.- Download http://snapshots.pfsense.com/FreeBSD6/RELENG_1/embedded/pfSense.img.gz
3.- gunzip pfSense.img.gz
4.- Replace config.xml at pfSense.img (with my last config.xml saved) using replace_conf.sh from http://forum.pfsense.org/index.php/topic,1998.0.html
5.- Resize pfSense.img to 1024 MByte (for my new CF) using mkflash_new.sh from http://pfsense.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/~checkout~/tools/builder_scripts/mkflash_new.sh?rev=1.1;content-type=application%2Fx-sh
6.- Write pfSense-1024MB.img.gz to my new CF.
7.- Shutdown / Turn Off / Extract Old CF / Put New CF / Turn On

I can't boot. My box sees the CF card as ad2. Is a FabiaTech FX5620 from http://linitx.com/product_info.php?cPath=4&products_id=909

Is it possible that Embedded image only works for ad0 ? If yes, how to change it before writting my CF ?

I need to change to the last Snapshot for VPN stability, please help!

Thanks,

Josep Pujadas

[sullrich]

Also it appears that recent snapshots (6.2) has DMA turned on.

Please turn off DMA and see if the problem goes away.  I need to
verify this before I make the change to turn it off in our tree.

http://wiki.pfsense.com/wikka.php?wakka=BootTroubleShooting

[bellera]

Scott,

I did'nt find at BIOS how to do it … Is it in a file DMA activation ? If yes, wich file ?

I wrote a new CF with http://snapshots.pfsense.com/FreeBSD6/RELENG_1/embedded/pfSense.img.gz

Same problem. The boot blocks at:

FreeBSD/i386 bootstrap loader, Revision 1.1
(sullrich@builder6.pfsense.com, Sun Apr 8 19:09:19 EDT 2007)
Loading /boot/defaults/loader.conf
/

Regards,

Josep Pujadas

[sullrich]

Wrong page.

http://wiki.pfsense.com/wikka.php?wakka=BootOptions

[bellera]

Hello!

"To disable DMA:
After powering on your system, You will see:
Hit [Enter] to boot immediately, or any other key for command prompt."

This is not possible in my case (system does'nt stop loading) and I have'nt English keyboard at console, so I could'nt type special characters such "=" …

I wrote CF card with 22-april-07 (yesterday) embedded snapshot:

http://snapshots.pfsense.com/FreeBSD6/RELENG_1_2/embedded/

I Mounted this image on a FreeBSD machine and I saw that DMA is now desactivated:

cat mnt/a/boot/loader.conf

hw.ata.atapi_dma="0"
hw.ata.ata_dma="0"
loader_color="NO"
console=comconsole
autoboot_delay="5"
hw.ata.wc="0"

I wrote this image to the CF.

But same problem for my box … I ca'nt boot.

Is it the boot capable to start from a CF placed as master at secondary IDE ? My box sees the CF as ad2, not ad0.

Please, help!

Josep Pujadas

[sullrich]

Not sure what else to try.  I booted that image over the weekend on a WRAP and a Soekris.

Maybe try a different compact flash card.

[bellera]

Scott,

I tried two different CF cards … I don't understand what is happening ...

My first installation using the http://linitx.com/product_info.php?cPath=4&products_id=909 box was writting to the CF pfSense-1.0.1-512-ad2.img.gz from http://shopping.hacom.net/catalog/pub/pfsense

The embedded image from Hacom uses grub. I tried to run the mkflash.sh script from Hacom on one of my FreeBSD machines (with grub tools installed) but it doesn't work.

I will trie the same image with one of my new CF cards ... With this I will ensure if new CF is well working ...

Thanks,

Josep Pujadas

[bellera]

I wrote my new CF with pfSense-1.0.1-512-ad2.img.gz from http://shopping.hacom.net/catalog/pub/pfsense

The http://linitx.com/product_info.php?cPath=4&products_id=909 box it boots with the new CF.

So, the CFs are good …

I tried to build an image using mkflash.sh script from hacom.net. But this script does'nt work for recent snapshots of pfSense. I made some changes to it. I arrived to create an image that it boots with grub, but it stops when grub says to launch the system from hd0.

I think that pfSense snapshot image is not capable to boot from a secondary master ide (ad2).

Thanks,

Josep Pujadas

[bellera]

Hello!

I mounted the last snapshot image (before writing the CF) and I changed the /boot/loader.conf from:

hw.ata.atapi_dma="0"
hw.ata.ata_dma="0"
loader_color="NO"
console=comconsole
autoboot_delay="5"
hw.ata.wc="0"

to:

hw.ata.atapi_dma="0"
hw.ata.ata_dma="0"

Now, my VGA monitor is blocked at:

Hit [Enter] to boot immediately, or any other key for command prompt
Booting [/boot/kernel/kernel] …

Is it mandatory to use serial console to start the last snapshot embedded image ?

I don't use serial console with my box. I have a VGA monitor.

I tried also:

hw.ata.atapi_dma="0"
hw.ata.ata_dma="0"
console="vidconsole,comconsole"
boot_multicons="1"
usb_load="yes"
ukbd_load="YES"
umass_load="YES"

but it does'nt work. Same blocking …

Thanks,

Josep Pujadas

[sullrich]

Embedded images do NOT use VGA.  You need a serial port connected.

[bellera]

???

This is the problem. Embedded images at hacom.net use VGA monitor … My working pfSense is using one of them.

Is there any form to have the last (embedded) snapshot working with VGA monitor? It's more flexible for me ...

hacom.net mkflash.sh script changes the /etc/platform file and puts into embedded:

cat >$CF_MOUNT/a/etc/platform <<-EOF
embedded
EOF

Are they using the complete version and saying to it to work as embedded ?

Is it a good idea?

Thanks,

Josep Pujadas

[sullrich]

Not sure what to tell you honestly.  Maybe hacom has an updated image for you.

[bellera]

Hello!

New images at hacom.net:

http://shopping.hacom.net/catalog/pub/pfsense/pfSense-releng_1_2-snapshot070424-1gb-ad2.img.gz
http://shopping.hacom.net/catalog/pub/pfsense/pfSense-releng_1_2-snapshot070424-512-ad2.img.gz

They are 1.2-BETA-1-PRERELEASE-SNAPSHOT-04-23-07 based … They are'nt a 1.0.1 snapshot !!!!

I installed the 512-ad2 image and it's working ...

Regards,

Josep Pujadas

[hoba]

Thanks to the guys at hacom! As you can see they take care to have images that work with the hardware they sell (and even other). A quality recommended vendor!  :D