REPOST - Installation Bug - All available versions hang on install

[Thor Anderson]

FreeBSD hangs without errors early in the install process on my computer.

I have downloaded and tested the CD ISO files for version 4.9 as well as 
4.6.2 (with intent of upgrading) and neither appears to boot.  In both 
cases, my computer completes POST, accesses the CD drive and hangs without 
any messages.

Worried that my ability to create a bootable CD-ROM, I purchased the 
commercial boxed set of 5.1 (“Power Pac” with handbook).  While this version 
still does not install properly, it does provide the following message 
before it hangs:

>CD Loader 1.01
>
>Building the boot loader arguments
>Looking up /BOOT/LOADER... Found

Having eliminated my options for CD install, I purchased a USB floppy drive 
and attempted a floppy boot disk.  Again, the system hung without any 
message.

The computer is able to boot other operating systems from CD.  Testing shows 
Microsoft as well as Fedora project Linux boot and install properly.

The computer is an IBM NetVista 6645 W2U with an Intel Celeron 566MHz 
processor, 128MB RAM, a 7.5GB hard disk, a 32x CDROM, and an Intel Express 
Pro 10/100 PCI network adaptor.  What makes this system unusual is that it 
is “legacy free” which means it has none of the traditional I/O ports (no 
serial, parallel, PS/2 or even floppy interface).  All I/O is via one of the 
five USB ports on the case.  I have flashed the BIOS to the latest version.

Since I can not install, I have no operating FreeBSD systems at my disposal. 
  Therefore, I can not customize my own kernel.

I have executed a Google search for my problem and located another person 
with the same type of computer and exactly the same symptoms when attempting 
to install Redhat Linux.  While their problems are not your problems, the 
following suggestions were made in that forum and may be valuable in my 
case:

> > I don't know anything about this particular machine, but
> > I used to be a BIOS programmer. Your BIOS should have
> > a setting to enable "legacy USB keyboard/mouse support".
> > Basically, this makes your USB keyboard look like a PS/2
> > keyboard for "legacy" OS's (OS's that don't have USB
> > keyboard drivers). As soon as the OS loads the USB
> > drivers, the BIOS disables its USB support, and the OS
> > takes over.
> >
> > If the OS is loading USB support but not USB keyboard
> > support, that would explain your problem. Try building a
> > kernel with absolutely no USB support.

>The OS should either be built with USB keyboard support so
>that when the USB host controller driver disables legacy
>emulation you still have a working keyboard, or the OS
>should be built with _NO_ USB support, so that the BIOS
>will continue providing legacy emulation support for your
>keyboard & mouse.

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