9.1 won't install - GEOM/GRAID issues

[Mike.]

On 1/2/2013 at 2:38 PM Fabian Keil wrote:

|"Mike." <the.lists at mgm51.com> wrote:
|
|> My FreeBSD server had been running fine, no issues.   This evening I
|> tried to update it to 9.1.  I don't "update in place", I update by
|> wiping the prior version and letting the new version have its way
with
|> the disk.
|> 
|> Well, 9.1 has issues with my system (dmesg is at the end of this
|> message).
|> 
|> When I boot from the install DVD, I see a lot of messages along the
|> lines of ~Root mount waiting for GRAID~, then eventually that times
out
|> and I am allowed to select the Install option.   However, when I get
to
|> the partitioning (btw, it's another issue, but the new set of
screens
|> to partition the drive really suck.  I've never been so confused by
a
|> FreeBSD install.   But I digress...)   I eventually selected "auto"
|> partitioning.  Then I am greeted with a pop up that informs me that
|> ada0 is not valid for some unmentioned reason.   (did I mention that
|> the new partitioning screens suck?).
|> 
|> At this point I give up, and I am now in the process of
re-installing
|> 9.0.
|> 
|> I'm not a long-time user of FreeBSD, I've only been using it since
|> 2005, with installs to keep it up to date through the varied and
sundry
|> versions.   But this is The First Time that a FreeBSD install has
|> failed.  
|> 
|> What's goin' on?  
|
|Probably there's corrupt raid metadata (or something that can be
|confused with raid metadata) on the disk(s).
|
|You could try booting with kern.geom.raid.enable set to 0 or
|without the module loaded. Sanitising the disk(s) should work
|as well.
|
|Fabian
 =============


Thanks for the reply.   The disk in question has never been used for
RAID, so if there is RAID metadata on the disk, I do not know how it
got there.  The disk is (I believe --- it's been a while since I have
been inside that box) on a Promise SATA RAID controller, but RAID is
not used and has never been used (I have a 3Ware controller for RAID on
that box).

When things settle down, I'll try to figure out how to sanitize the
disk and try to install 9.1 again.

Thanks again for your quick reply.

Mike.