{SOLVED} Network Interface module is load after check for interface at boot

[bl00d666]

i'm currently setuping pfsense 2.2 on a computer, and the onboard ethernet controller was not detected.
it's a Qualcomm Atheros ar8171 Gigabit ethernet and i find a module driver for it on the forum "if_alx.ko"

i copy the file in /boot/modules as instructed. i manually load the module with kldload, setup my Lan interface, and access my webconfiguration page trough it. Work fine.

now i reboot to see if the module load correctly at boot and i see :
warning configuration references interfaces that do not exist: alx0
network interface mismatch – running interface assignement option.

now i have to config the interface just like i did the first time and as soon as  say yes to the "do you want to proceed" question,  Bam the module is loading

is there a way to make the module load BEFORE the interface check ?

[charliem]

@bl00d666:

it's a Qualcomm Atheros ar8171 Gigabit ethernet and i find a module driver for it on the forum "if_alx.ko"
…...
is there a way to make the module load BEFORE the interface check ?

To load the driver as a module at boot time, add the following line in /boot/loader.conf.local:
if_alx_load="YES"
If you don't have a file /boot/loader.conf.local, create one, and put that line in it.

But, I think that the alx driver you found is an out-of-tree driver, and is now obsolete since support for ar8171 was added to FreeBSD 10.1 stable alc(4) driver.  https://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/svn-src-stable-10/2014-October/003598.html

I don't know if that support made it into pfSense 2.2.2, but you should certainly try 2.2.2 rather than 2.2; you may find ar8171 is supported already.  If not, I'd try to get the if_alc.ko module from a FreeBSD 10.1 stable snapshot, and use that rather than if_alx.ko

alc(4) man page is here: https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=alc&apropos=0&sektion=4&manpath=FreeBSD+10.1-stable&arch=default&format=html

[bl00d666]

sorry missing that info, i already add the line in the boot.config.local but i add if_alc_load=yes instead of if_alx_load=yes as it was mention in te other post i saw.

fyi i am on 2.2.2 but the alx module is still missing. something to do with the cut before the rc of pfsense or something.

anyway, changing the c for an x WORK !!!

Thanks CharlieM

[charliem]

@bl00d666:

fyi i am on 2.2.2 but the alx module is still missing. something to do with the cut before the rc of pfsense or something.

So to be clear, 2.2.2 does not detect your ar8171? alc is the proper driver for that chip, not alx.

I've raised a bug in redmine asking to update alc(4), if it's not already in place for the 2.2.3 release.
https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/4725

[edit] Looks like that will not be included until 2.3, unless someone submits a patch, but r273366 should drop right in.