Navigation

    Netgate Discussion Forum
    • Register
    • Login
    • Search
    • Categories
    • Recent
    • Tags
    • Popular
    • Users
    • Search

    Installing onto Soekris hdd from USB

    Installation and Upgrades
    3
    4
    906
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • D
      developCENTS last edited by

      I'm having a really hard time figuring out how to get pfSense installed into a hdd mounted in a Soekris 6501-50 from a USB stick. When I run pfSense directly off the USB drive as an embedded image, it works flawlessly (and that's what we're doing now). However, when I replace that image with a memstick image (either VGA or console), the output through the console / serial port on the Soekris doesn't work (it looks like the pfSense image is configured to use VGA or something - I can't get it to a point where I can configure pfSense initially).

      I also attempted to boot the Soekris from the flash drive with the embedded image when the hdd is also plugged in, hoping I could somehow install pfSense onto hdd that way.

      Unfortunately, pfSense gets confused during the boot-up process and doesn't know which "disk we're booting from" and I've been unable to get past that hurdle.

      Any suggestions?

      Founder of Develop CENTS
      Simplify your IT.
      http://developcents.com

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • stephenw10
        stephenw10 Netgate Administrator last edited by

        The memstick serial image is for this situation but you seem to imply you've tried that already?

        You can install to the drive in another box, enable serial console then transfer the drive back.

        Steve

        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • C
          CS last edited by

          Check that your comBios is the latest one, find a USB stick that is recognized by the comBios, install the full version of the latest pfSense version on a different HDD using "pfSense-memstick-serial-2.1-RELEASE-i386.img" image and the "Win32DiskImager" software to write it to the USB stick.

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • D
            developCENTS last edited by

            Hi Steve-
            Yes, I tried both Serial/console memstick image, as well as the VGA memstick image, and both acted (to me) as if they were configured for VGA (as the console output stopped working at a point early on in the boot process).

            I will try doing a fresh install of pfSense with a memstick on another embedded PC I have later today, and see if that works. If it does, I'll take that embedded PC over to the client's office tomorrow and do exactly what you suggested - use my embedded PC with their hdd to perform the install and then switch the hdd back over to their Soekris device.

            Hi /CS-
            Thanks for the response. The steps you've suggested are almost exactly what I have done. I'm not positive that the bios is updated to the latest version, but this is a brand spakin' new Soekris device.

            I'll respond later today if I have trouble getting pfSense installed onto my own embedded PC using either the VGA or the console memstick image.

            • David

            Founder of Develop CENTS
            Simplify your IT.
            http://developcents.com

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • First post
              Last post