Cannot install on Hyper-V 2008 R2

[myselfo]

Hi,

I first tried upgrading an existing pfSense 2.2.6 to 2.3, but after rebooting it complained about not being able to mount something (sorry about giving no useful information at all).
Then I tried to simply install from scratch… with no luck, all I get is this message: "The installer could not find any disks suitable for installation (IDE or SCSI) attached to this computer".
There is an IDE hard drive, and pfSense 2.2.6 was running fine with this same exact configuration.

I searched the web and it looks like I'm not the only one having this issue:
http://sysadminz.ru/index.php?topic=12565.0
According to Google Translate, he seems to say that this problem only happens in 2008R2, not in 2012.

[jimp]

Any options to change for the disk type or controller type?

I don't use HyperV but it sounds like it's using a controller that somehow isn't supported any longer. Though I haven't heard of any being removed from FreeBSD.

[mafigo]

It seems that this problem occurs to some users on freebsd 10.2 and 10.3 see:

http://article.gmane.org/gmane.os.freebsd.devel.amd64/16527/match=freebsd+10.2+disks+not+found+hyper+v+windows+server+2008r2

https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/52797/

[myselfo]

@jimp:

Any options to change for the disk type or controller type?

Not that I'm aware of. I tried both with IDE and SCSI, still the same error.
I guess I'm just out of luck, since this issue seems to have been noticed since at least August 2015 on FreeBSD and there are no fixes. Oh well, I'll just stay with 2.2.6.

[moo82]

I experienced the same on our 2008 r2 Hyper-V server.

After preliminary testing, and reading http://forum.lissyara.su/viewtopic.php?t=43786 (I don't understand a word of Russian)

On the installer boot prompt, press 3: escape to loader prompt

set hw.ata.disk_enable="1"
boot

The installer boots, and now you may install.  :)

After installation, press 3 again on boot prompt, and enter

set hw.ata.disk_enable="1"
boot

once on the main menu, exit to shell with 8.

ee /boot/loader.conf

add the line here, below the first one (autoboot_delay="3")

hw.ata.disk_enable="1"

Press escape and enter, choose save.

You may check that the file looks okay by typing

cat /boot/loader.conf

It should print

autoboot_delay="3"
hw.ata.disk_enable="1"

I haven't used this beyond concept testing, so I don't know how it performs stability or performance wise. But best of luck!

[xternal]

I am getting the same issue on a server 2012 r2 hyper-v install. Will try the ata boot work around and report back.

[SnowGhost]

What I found I needed to do to install (2.2.6) was install to a scsi disk then shutdown.
In HyperV Console, Convert the disk type to ATA then power up and continue as if nothing ever happened.

Daft, but it worked for me.

[myselfo]

@Moohouse:

set hw.ata.disk_enable="1"

It works!  :)
I've been finally able to install, and it survives reboots.
Thank you!!

[paulsnoop]

@myselfo:

I first tried upgrading an existing pfSense 2.2.6 to 2.3, but after rebooting it complained about not being able to mount something (sorry about giving no useful information at all).

I had this problem upgrading my 2.2.6 to 2.3 on HyperV 2012R2.
ada0s1a had become ada0s1d (or something like that) causing the mount to fail.

At the mount prompt

ufs:/dev/ada0s1d

Got me up and running, then edited fstab to fix the problem on the next reboot.

[MerlinsIT]

This also solved the issue on a HyperV 2008R2 using IDE primary disk. 
@Moohouse:

On the installer boot prompt, press 3: escape to loader prompt

set hw.ata.disk_enable="1"
boot

After installation, press 3 again on boot prompt, and . . .

The issue began during an auto upgrade from 2.2.6 to 2.3.  When the upgrade rebooted the console indicated

Mounting from ufs:/dev/ufsid/558396f219ff3908 failed with error 19.

As soon as the setting was applied as indicated by the author the upgrade completed and the firewall returned to normal operation.

[fsr]

I'm currently installing 2.3 from scratch under Win Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V, and i just had to write the set hw.ata.disk_enable="1" command at boot for it to recognize the disk.

It would be good to have some official words about this.

I wonder if future upgrades won't cause problems with this, messing with the loader.conf file.

[myselfo]

@fsr:

I wonder if future upgrades won't cause problems with this, messing with the loader.conf file.

I have the same fear.
I just tried with the new 2.3.1 version, hoping that this had to do with this fix:
https://redmine.pfsense.org/issues/6147

But nope, it still needs the loader.conf line to boot.