Install from .iso Fails

Mon Sep 2 11:32:18 UTC 2019

On Sun, 1 Sep 2019 16:55:53 -0700, Thomas D. Dean wrote:
> On 9/1/19 1:05 PM, Polytropon wrote:
> > On Sun, 1 Sep 2019 12:37:21 -0700, Thomas D. Dean wrote:
> >> On 9/1/19 3:17 AM, MJ wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On 1/09/2019 2:49 pm, Thomas D. Dean wrote:
> >>>> On 8/31/19 8:58 PM, Thomas D. Dean wrote:
> >>>>> On 8/31/19 8:49 PM, Thomas D. Dean wrote:
> >>>>>> I tried to install FreeBSD and failed.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I downloaded FreeBSD-12.0-RELEASE-amd64-bootonly.iso, burned a CD,
> >>>>>> and booted.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> The boot sequence did not complete.  It was in a loop
> >>>>>> ...
> >>>>>> xchi resetting the controller
> >>>>>> ...
> >>>>>> xchi resetting the controller
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I could get to the ptty that was logged in as root.  ps -ax seemed OK.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I think I had FreeBSD on this machine several years ago.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Motherboard ASUS P9X79 PRO
> >>>>>> Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3930K CPU
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Any ideas?
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Tom Dean
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Typo: xhci rather than xchi.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>   From a Linux console,
> >>>>>
> >>>>>   > lsusb
> >>>>> Bus 002 Device 005: ID 0cf3:3005 Atheros Communications, Inc. AR3011
> >>>>> Bluetooth
> >>>>> Bus 002 Device 004: ID 04f2:0939 Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd
> >>>>> Bus 002 Device 003: ID 045e:0768 Microsoft Corp. Sidewinder X4
> >>>>> Bus 002 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching
> >>>>> Hub
> >>>>> Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
> >>>>> Bus 006 Device 002: ID 2109:0810 VIA Labs, Inc. VL81x Hub
> >>>>> Bus 006 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
> >>>>> Bus 005 Device 002: ID 2109:3431 VIA Labs, Inc. Hub
> >>>>> Bus 005 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
> >>>>> Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
> >>>>> Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
> >>>>> Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0024 Intel Corp. Integrated Rate Matching
> >>>>> Hub
> >>>>> Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
> >>>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>>
> >>>> I switched to ttyv3 and killed all the bsdinstall processes.  Then, I
> >>>> started bsdinstall.  Looked good.  When bsdinstalled started looking
> >>>> on the web for components to install, all the components were not found.
> >>>>
> >>>> pub/FreeBSD/releases/amd64/amd64/12.0-RELEASE/base.txz no address
> >>>> record found.
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>> I wouldn't go around killing install processes and then expect to have a
> >>> cogent system.
> >>>
> >>> If you are stuck with something, like the XHCI error, try a verbose boot:
> >>>
> >>> https://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/bsdinstall-start.html
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> It may, or may not, illuminate the issue a bit more.
> >>>
> >>>> But, the install did do one thing.
> >>>>
> >>>> I tried to install on ata3.  bsdinstall actually created partitons on
> >>>> that disk.
> >>>>
> >>>> BUT, BSDINSTALL ALSO STABBED ATA0 AND MADE IT UNBOOTABLE.  Thanks.
> >>>
> >>> Yikes, boot manager perhaps? Is this a multi-OS system? What's the boot
> >>> manager you are using?
> >>>
> >>>>
> >>>> I guess FreeBSD install is just broken.
> >>>
> >>> Maybe the web-based-install-everything-by-download is, but I doubt it.
> >>> Is the network showing an IP when you're booting and what's its route
> >>> table look like? Can you ping a known web site, ie, google.com
> >>> (indicating name resolution & some network operation)?
> >>>
> >> I chose DHCP to start the network and did not see any error messages.  I
> >> did not ping anything.
> > 
> > You should verify that the network can be reached, routing
> > and name resolution work. If you see no error message, you
> > _could_ take that for granted, but it's always useful to
> > make sure it _really_ works.
> > 
> > This is the primary reason I use DVD #1: It allows me to
> > install a fully working OS, a point from where I can configure
> > network as needed, and then perform installation from external
> > sources. No "half-baked" things. ;-)
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >> I did not choose to install a MBR, maybe this is some default?
> > 
> > Did you choose automatic layout? Today, MBR is not the
> > default anymore. GPT is. There are only very few reasons
> > one would choose to use MBR partitioning.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >> Killing all the install processes BEFORE they did anything should not
> >> cause a problem.
> > 
> > Depends on when a certain step is being performed, e. g.,
> > editing or creating a partition table before initializing
> > filesystems, initializing filesystems before copying files.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >> Looking back over several years' notes I think this is a USB 3.0 problem.
> >>
> >> USB 3.0 is why I switched to Linux.  It is necessary for some of my
> >> projects.
> > 
> > Yes, this is a problem sometimes.
> > 
> 
> I killed all the bsdinstall stuff before I answered any of the 
> questions.  As soon as the first install box appeared, I switched to 
> ttyv3(?) where root was logged in.  Before selecting keyboard model.

So you don't want to use bsdinstall? I could understand that... ;-)

> I use grub at the console to choose the system to boot [...]

Okay, so you already have a boot manager in place. In this case,
you only need to add FreeBSD boot code at the beginning of the
desired disk, and _not_ make any changes to the first disk (i. e.,
the boot disk) of the system. After installing FreeBSD to the
desired disk, add an entry to the GRUB configuration that hands
over control to that particular disk to boot FreeBSD.

Dealing with individual disks makes this easy.

However, you _could_ do the following:

Detach all disks except the one you want to put FreeBSD on.
Install it using bsdinstall as if it would be a typical single-disk
installation; use the normal boot section (not the boot manager).
Add labels to the partitions. Now this disk would boot fine as-is.
Re-attach the other disks, and add the GRUB entry as mentioned
before for the FreeBSD disk.

> [...] and I login at a 
> console prompt.  In my .bash_profile, I startx.  I use TWM because it is 
> least intrusive.  I use emacs in an xterm for development.

Interesting setup.

> I have a multi-os system.
> sata6g_1  HD0 SSD    ubuntu 18.04
> sata6g_2  HD1 WD5000 Ubuntu 18.04
> sata3g_3  HD2 WD5000 windows 7 - not used
> sata3g_4  HD3 WD5000 empty - this is where I tried to install FreeBSD
> sata3g_5  HD4 WD5000 windows 7 secondary plex- not used
> sata3g_6  DVD DRW-24B3LT
> sata6g_E1 (empty)
> sata6g_E2 (empty)
> 
> After starting bsdinstall on ttyv3(?), I chose the automatic layout.

If I remember correctly, that would create the partitions as needed,
_and_ add the regular boot code.

> OK, that does not seem to be a reasonable way to go.

Check the instructions on what the best way is. Multi-OS setups
are not very typical, they're not really covered in the documentation.
But that doesn't stop you from integrating FreeBSD - I have done that
many years ago without any problems.

https://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/using-bsdinstall.html

https://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/bsdinstall-partitioning.html

I think the guided partitioning is a better way to allocate disk
space. You _could_ also do a manual install (from the 3rd console,
i. e., using gpart and newfs to prepare the target disk, and then
install the FreeBSD components to that new target).

> I will download the DVD set.  Is it possible that I get reasonable USB 
> 3.0 support from the full DVD rather than the net install?

Those aren't different in terms of kernel (which is responsible
for USB support). But with DVD #1 (the only one you need) you
can install the full OS, and boot into a fully working OS after-
wards, to make further configurations, like network, ports to
add, and so on.

> What do I need to do to avoid scribbling on sata6g_1  HD0?  That 
> contains grub.

Definitely. Your GRUB configuration is best changed by booting
into Linux and using the GRUP setup tool to add a FreeBSD entry
("chain loader").

Maybe the thread "Booting FreeBSD via GRUB" in the FreeBSD forum
can be helpful here:

https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/booting-freebsd-via-grub.60422/

-- 
Polytropon
Magdeburg, Germany
Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...