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    Update: APU set boot parameter

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Problems Installing or Upgrading pfSense Software
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    • C
      chsu83
      last edited by

      There will be a Problem if I'd like to update pfSense an PCEngines APU Board, because i need the boot parameter

      kern.cam.boot_delay=10000
      

      What I see, there are 2 possibilities to solve that:
      1.) Implement a solution that I can modify the loader.conf after installation.
      A checkbox under update settings where you can disable the automatic reboot after update installation. So you can change the boot parameter on the newly upgraded files
      2.) Implement the boot parameter in the next nanobsd images

      not really 3.) implement a new image download nano with sd card  :o

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      • D
        doktornotor Banned
        last edited by

        0.) Create /boot/loader.conf**.local** and move on.

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        • stephenw10S
          stephenw10 Netgate Administrator
          last edited by

          ^Exactly.
          See: https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Boot_Troubleshooting#Booting_from_USB

          Steve

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          • P
            phil.davis
            last edited by

            Or play with 2.2 snapshots  :) - they boot clean from the default install (at least for me)

            As the Greek philosopher Isosceles used to say, "There are 3 sides to every triangle."
            If I helped you, then help someone else - buy someone a gift from the INF catalog http://secure.inf.org/gifts/usd/

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            • J
              jasonlitka
              last edited by

              @doktornotor:

              0.) Create /boot/loader.conf**.local** and move on.

              That does not work on NanoBSD which I think is what most people are using with that board, including the OP.

              My recommendation is still to stop buying cheap cards and just run a full install.  Samsung just released a new SD card with MLC flash which should be fine for a full install.

              I can break anything.

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              • D
                doktornotor Banned
                last edited by

                @Jason:

                That does not work on NanoBSD which I think is what most people are using with that board, including the OP.

                Huh? Using it all the time.

                
                $ cat /etc/platform
                nanobsd
                
                $ cat /boot/loader.conf.local
                hw.ata.ata_dma="1"
                
                $ dmesg | grep DMA
                atapci0: <amd cs5536="" udma100="" controller="">port 0x1f0-0x1f7,0x3f6,0x170-0x177,0x376,0xff00-0xff0f at device 15.2 on pci0
                ad0: 1919MB <cf 20110221="" 2gb="">at ata0-master UDMA100</cf></amd> 
                
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                • J
                  jasonlitka
                  last edited by

                  The contents are lost on upgrade with NanoBSD.  Does not persist like it does on a full install.

                  I can break anything.

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                  • D
                    doktornotor Banned
                    last edited by

                    @Jason:

                    The contents are lost on upgrade with NanoBSD.  Does not persist like it does on a full install.

                    Negative.

                    /etc/rc.firmware

                    
                           # If /boot/loader.conf.local exists
                            # copy to the other slice.
                            if [ -f /boot/loader.conf.local ]; then
                                    cp /boot/loader.conf.local /tmp/$GLABEL_SLICE/boot/loader.conf.local
                            fi
                    
                    
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                    • J
                      jasonlitka
                      last edited by

                      Hmm…  Must be new.  Thanks for the info.

                      I can break anything.

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                      • P
                        phil.davis
                        last edited by

                        My recommendation is still to stop buying cheap cards and just run a full install.

                        It is not always just an issue of the card reliability. I am actually choosing to using nanoBSD on APU because I like the 2-slice boot option setup - after upgrading, the old version is still on the system and can easily be booted. For remote upgrades, this makes me feel a little better (assuming someone at the remote office can find their way to the console!). And I get easily tempted to upgrade to development/alpha/beta versions when there are good fixes or enhancements that I find useful, so having the fall-back position is very handy when a snapshot turns out to be not so good.

                        As the Greek philosopher Isosceles used to say, "There are 3 sides to every triangle."
                        If I helped you, then help someone else - buy someone a gift from the INF catalog http://secure.inf.org/gifts/usd/

                        1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • J
                          jasonlitka
                          last edited by

                          @phil.davis:

                          My recommendation is still to stop buying cheap cards and just run a full install.

                          It is not always just an issue of the card reliability. I am actually choosing to using nanoBSD on APU because I like the 2-slice boot option setup - after upgrading, the old version is still on the system and can easily be booted. For remote upgrades, this makes me feel a little better (assuming someone at the remote office can find their way to the console!). And I get easily tempted to upgrade to development/alpha/beta versions when there are good fixes or enhancements that I find useful, so having the fall-back position is very handy when a snapshot turns out to be not so good.

                          That's a very valid point.

                          I can break anything.

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                          • ?
                            Guest
                            last edited by

                            I'm actually looking at using ZFS to do this, rather than the 2 slice nano setup.

                            ZFS let's one keep multiple copies, and provides transparent compression on/off the SD card.

                            First I have to prove (internally) that it is as reliable.

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                            • ?
                              Guest
                              last edited by

                              @Jason:

                              Hmm…  Must be new.  Thanks for the info.

                              If 3 years old is 'new' to you, perhaps you should update.  :P

                              https://github.com/pfsense/pfsense/commit/ba8e08709a2c4bbb35e1640d7ac744da7e58b6e5#diff-e9556422aaab180a1087be2f24ac8e5c

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                              • ?
                                Guest
                                last edited by

                                @phil.davis:

                                My recommendation is still to stop buying cheap cards and just run a full install.

                                It is not always just an issue of the card reliability. I am actually choosing to using nanoBSD on APU because I like the 2-slice boot option setup - after upgrading, the old version is still on the system and can easily be booted. For remote upgrades, this makes me feel a little better (assuming someone at the remote office can find their way to the console!). And I get easily tempted to upgrade to development/alpha/beta versions when there are good fixes or enhancements that I find useful, so having the fall-back position is very handy when a snapshot turns out to be not so good.

                                I hope you are aware that we don't recommend snapshots for production systems.

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                                • D
                                  doktornotor Banned
                                  last edited by

                                  @gonzopancho:

                                  I'm actually looking at using ZFS to do this

                                  That's gonna absolutely rock with 256MB of RAM…  ::)

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                                  • ?
                                    Guest
                                    last edited by

                                    It won't be available for 32-bit builds.

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                                    • D
                                      doktornotor Banned
                                      last edited by

                                      @gonzopancho:

                                      It won't be available for 32-bit builds.

                                      Cannot see how's 32bit relevant there. And cannot see how's ZFS useful here beyond pointless marketing fluff.

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                                      • ?
                                        Guest
                                        last edited by

                                        Fortunately, pfSense is not led by the blind.

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                                        • J
                                          jasonlitka
                                          last edited by

                                          @gonzopancho:

                                          @Jason:

                                          Hmm…  Must be new.  Thanks for the info.

                                          If 3 years old is 'new' to you, perhaps you should update.  :P

                                          https://github.com/pfsense/pfsense/commit/ba8e08709a2c4bbb35e1640d7ac744da7e58b6e5#diff-e9556422aaab180a1087be2f24ac8e5c

                                          Maybe I missed it.  I stopped using NanoBSD, mostly because of this issue, back around the 1.2.3->2.0 transition.  It was just easier in the long term to buy SLC or high quality MLC flash.

                                          I can break anything.

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                                          • ?
                                            Guest
                                            last edited by

                                            Easy enough to miss, Jason.

                                            I happen to agree with you that running a live filesystem makes many things more straight-forward.

                                            As above, I'm investigating running ZFS as a first step to moving on from the nanobsd past and its restrictions.

                                            (There are, and will continue to be a base of people using older, 32-bit systems that likely can't move to ZFS, so it's not like the 'nano'/'embedded' builds
                                            will completely go away.)

                                            If it pans out, then likely that a "3.0" version of the pfSense software will run something a lot like 'freebsd-update', rather than the BWOS-like releases of today, and likely also something a bit more modern for a configuration system and GUI than the large mass of PHP that defines the product now.  This should help us address some of the security shortcomings in the current codebase.

                                            NO decision has been taken (yet), it's just time to re-think the direction.

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