IBM Proventia MX1004

jaspras

This might come in handy ….

https://forum.pfsense.org/index.php?topic=72217.0

smudge1977

Hi Jaspras,

Thanks that's the one i found and read, I have the cables and can see bios and the appliance boots up fine under the IBM software but i am struggling with the USB drive, Does anyone know the option to set and whats best way to wright the ISO to USB.

I must add the USB stick boots fine on a PC.

Regards

stephenw10

Don't use the memstick image that's designed for it. For example: http://files.atx.pfsense.org/mirror/downloads/pfSense-memstick-2.2-RELEASE-i386.img.gz
I assume you need the 32bit serial console version.
Then do: https://doc.pfsense.org/index.php/Writing_Disk_Images

I seem to remember there was some difficulty with these boxes though. Won't boot from USB perhaps.
Easiest thing is often to remove the HD and install pfSense to it in an old laptop. I assume you keep an IDE laptop around for such purposes. :P

Steve

smudge1977

Hi Steve,

I don't but sure i can borrow one from work, Would the image you have linked to work fine.

I was thinking of installing to HDD from a different machine but got thrown because of the serial vga.

Regards
James

stephenw10

If it boots from USB and you're using the serial console then that image will be fine.

If you install from CD on another machine you just have to boot once into pfSense (which means you install machine must have at least one recognised interface) and enable the serial console in System > Advanced, admin access.

Steve

smudge1977

Thanks Steve,

I will give that a go.

Regards

James

smudge1977

Hi,

I got a little further using the ISO i was able to build the drive in a laptop and it booted fine, I have returned to the IBM box and now get a mount error 19 with a mount prompt. I am guessing because it was built in the laptop.
I did have the drive as a slave using a USB to ide connector.

Regards
James

stephenw10

Type ? at the mountroot> prompt. What does it return?
The drive is connected differently to how it was when you installed as you correctly surmised. You need to tell pfSense where to mount root from.
It's probably the primary master which would be ada0s1a but it should be listed there.

When it has booted edit /etc/fstab to correct that permanently.

Steve

lonelydragon757

Not sure if this issue is dead or not. I have a MX 1004 unit. I used to have it installed with PFSense before. so I know it is possible. I believe somehow I utilize its official software to boot my PC, if memory serves me. than put in the PFSense burn CD. and booted the MX1004 with LAN booting. and installed well.

for some reason. my unit now is not detecting my hard drive (reliably) , so I had to move back to a PC.

coxhaus

I think I was having a problem like yours installing on an old Intel motherboard. Windows would boot fine off a USB CDROM drive but pfsense would not. I had to use WinDisk32 and write an image to a small USB memory stick, I want to say 4 GIG or smaller. Once I did this pfsense installed fine. I downloaded Win32diskimage.exe.