Re: loader_4th.efi "IPv4 PXE" net booting no longer works

On Sat, Sep 26, 2026 at 6:17 AM Bjoern A. Zeeb <
bzeeb-lists@lists.zabbadoz.net> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> sorry I cannot gather more parts of the console before this easily; this
> is a remote machine booting via IPv4 (just in case you wonder with me).
>
> It's a EDK II firmware, boot options is IPv4 PXE.  Boot file is loader.efi,
> which is loader_4th.efi in that setup.
>
> I updated to a kernel/world from the last 48 hours and the boot hangs:
>
> --- 8< 8< 8< -----------------------------------------------------------
>     Console: efi (0x1000)
>     Load Path:
>     BootCurrent: 0004
>     BootOrder: 0004[*] 0008 0005 0007 0006 0001 0002 0000 0003
> Setting currdev to md0:
> MD not present
>     BootInfo Path: MAC(ABCDEFABCDEF,0x1)/IPv4(0.0.0.0)
> Ignoring Boot0004: Only one DP found
> Setting currdev to net0:
> --- 8< 8< 8< -----------------------------------------------------------
>
> Then things hang.
>
>
> I switched back to a loader_4th.efi from early July which still worked:
>
> --- 8< 8< 8< -----------------------------------------------------------
>     Console: efi (0x1000)
>     Load Path:
>     Load Device: MAC(ABCDEFABCDEF,0x1)/IPv4(0.0.0.0)
>     BootCurrent: 0004
>     BootOrder: 0004[*] 0008 0005 0007 0006 0001 0002 0000 0003
>     BootInfo Path: MAC(ABCDEFABCDEF,0x1)/IPv4(0.0.0.0)
> Ignoring Boot0004: Only one DP found
> Setting currdev to net0:
> \
> ...
> <loader.rc derived output>
> --- 8< 8< 8< -----------------------------------------------------------
>
> Do I need to start a bisect?
>

If you have multiple NICs, it may be that we assume unit 0 in the
committed code. I got a report yesterday thta I saw just before
I was heading to bed, so I worked up

http://people.freebsd.org/~imp/net-unit.patch

to see if it fixed the problem for the reporter and sent it off. I then
told claude to add a two-nic booting from the second nic scenario
to boot-test.sh and went to bed. Now I wake up to this :) I'll see
if that tests things, but in the mean time, it wouldn't hurt to try
the above.

Warner


>
> --
> For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew
> great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall
> deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. [Mat. 24:24-25]
>
>