[Bug 286402] Handbook missing "FreeBSD Firmware Installation" section, between sections 2.8.5 and 2.8.6

From: <bugzilla-noreply_at_freebsd.org>
Date: Sun, 27 Apr 2025 19:22:32 UTC
https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=286402

            Bug ID: 286402
           Summary: Handbook missing "FreeBSD Firmware Installation"
                    section, between sections 2.8.5 and 2.8.6
           Product: Documentation
           Version: Latest
          Hardware: Any
                OS: Any
            Status: New
          Severity: Affects Many People
          Priority: ---
         Component: Website
          Assignee: doc@FreeBSD.org
          Reporter: mikethe1wheelnut@protonmail.com

Created attachment 259931
  --> https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/attachment.cgi?id=259931&action=edit
A screen that appears for others that is undocumented.  I do not recall seeing
it on my machine, but that doesn't mean it didnt.  I saw a screen with a menu
with most options selected.

Between sections 2.8.5 and 2.8.6 there should be a new section covering a new
part of the installer that is, apparently, very recent.  I reported this first
on the forums and they agree that the documentation should be updated.  They
are actually the ones who told me about PR's :-)

Hardware: I am running amd64, (Dell Latitude E7440) but I assume it applies to
any hardware.  At least one other person has confirmed, see below.
Version: The latest version, 14.2 I believe, see comments below.
Installation: Via usb-key.
System: This is the base system, during installation.  Re-install FreeBSD, and
you will see this new menu(s) that are not mentioned in the handbook.  I
accepted the defaults, everything seems fine, even if I don't know what it did.
Severity: People on the forums seem to think this affects everybody, so..

See:
https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/handbook-missing-freebsd-firmware-installation-section.97657/#post-699417


From that thread:

"mikethe1wheelnut means the "firmware" script menu [1] executed by
bsdinstall(8) during menu guided installation.

The script executes fwget(8) to install wifi and drm-kmod firmware from
packages.

fwlist=`chroot $BSDINSTALL_CHROOT fwget -q -n`"

"
So, in the mean time I've done a re-install of 14.2 while keeping my eyes
peeled and sure enough: I can reproduce the issue: I also get the brief
firmware prompt: (..see attached image..)

Right after the enabling of services and before the question about adding new
users, easy to miss for sure! I then dove onto the prompt and found my way to:
/usr/libexec/bsdinstall where you can find the firmware script.

And I agree, this step should become part of the handbook. Especially because
it can also lead to an actual dialog in which users can select which firmware
drivers they want to install on their system."

------------------
"I don't recall seeing that particular screenshot, though it might have
happened. What I saw was another menu where you could select multiple options.
"

----------------------

"The screenshot was taken from a VirtualBox VM. The options selector appears
only when there are supported pci wifi and, I believe, display devices present
on the system which require firmware.

Since VirtualBox doesn't support pci passthrough, there are no pci devices
present to install firmware for in the VM, and ultimately no options selector
displayed but only a "No firmware to install" notification you see in the
screenshot. This notification appears also when no supported devices are
present on a bare metal system."

------------------
"I assumed that this is a very recent addition to the installation process, so
recent that the documentation hasn't caught-up yet. "

----------------
"It is a new feature on 14.2. The "firmware" script was introduced on CURRENT
first, then "Merged From Current" into 14-STABLE, from there into 14.2-RELEASE.
14.1-RELEASE hadn't such a script."


Disclaimer:  This is my first bug report.  One list of tips for bug reports is
long, (https://docs.freebsd.org/en/articles/problem-reports/) and this is, I
think, a fairly clear simple issue, so I have not read every single word of
advice.  If I were to do so, it would delay the report for days, and probably
not change it very much :-)

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