FreeNAS in N3150-ITX does not boot from USB

[darioml]

Hi.

I cannot boot the FreeNAS-9.3-STABLE-201509022158 in my new NAS: Asrock N3150-ITX, 8 GB RAM. Latest BIOS P1.30.

I tried two different approaches, with two different pendrives:

1. I burn the .iso in an USB pendrive with Win32DiskImager. I turn on the NAS with it. I select the boot device as the USB pendrive, the screen becomes black and nothing happens. The GRUB menu does not appear. If I choose instead the UEFI option, then, the screen comes back to the "select boot device".

2. Then, I tried the way given in https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/error-19-during-install.35398/#post-222854 In VirtualBox, I installed FreeNAS in the USB pendrive. Later, in another VM, I booted it up. From the GUI, I createad a loader tunable xhci_load with value set to YES. Then, when I plugged the pendrive in the NAS, again, the screen became black, nothing appeared or happened. But, if I plug it in the VM, it works perfectly, the GRUB menu appears and it starts normally.

3. Just to test if the NAS could boot anything from an USB, I burned the OpenELEC-Generic.x86_64-5.95.5.img in a pendrive and it worked perfectly.

So, what could be happening? Why not even the GRUB menu appears?

Thanks!

 

[darioml]

Hi.

I tried some more things:

• FreeNAS-9.3-STABLE-201509282017 -> In N3150-ITX it does not boot up. No GRUB menu. It works perfectly in a VM (VirtualBox). Tuneable: xhci_load to YES.
  
• FreeNAS-10.2-ALPHA-201510091516-bf6797e-x64 -> In N3150-ITX it does not boot up. No GRUB menu. It works perfectly in a VM (VirtualBox). Tuneable: xhci_load to YES.
  
• gparted-live-0.23.0-1-i586 -> It boots up and works perfectly
  
• memtest86-usb 6.2 -> It boots up and works perfectly. All tests were successfull.

So, I guess it is something related to Legacy (BIOS) booting up mode and/or incompatibility with USB 3.0 (but I'm always using USB 2.0 pendrives).

Could anybody tell me how to solve it?

Thanks!

 

[danb35]

My only guess is that your motherboard doesn't support booting from GPT-partitioned drives (it's new enough that it should, but that doesn't prove it does). What happens if you try 9.2.1.9?

 

[joeschmuck]

My only consern is you could be creating the USB Flash drive improperly. Can you burn the iso for FreeNAS 9.3.1 to a CD and then boot that on your FreeNAS system? The install to the Flash drive?

Are you using the black USB 2.0 connectors on the back of the MB?

And you do realize your MB doesn't have ECC RAM support?

Lastly, does FreeBSD 9.3 boot up on your system?

 

[darioml]

My only guess is that your motherboard doesn't support booting from GPT-partitioned drives (it's new enough that it should, but that doesn't prove it does). What happens if you try 9.2.1.9?

I have just tried with FreeNAS-9.2.1.9-RELEASE-x64.usb and the same: black screen.

My only consern is you could be creating the USB Flash drive improperly. Can you burn the iso for FreeNAS 9.3.1 to a CD and then boot that on your FreeNAS system? The install to the Flash drive?

Are you using the black USB 2.0 connectors on the back of the MB?

I tried both USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports with the same result: black screen.

And you do realize your MB doesn't have ECC RAM support?

Yes, I know.

Lastly, does FreeBSD 9.3 boot up on your system?

I have just tried:

• FreeBSD-9.3-RELEASE-amd64-memstick.img -> It does not boot up
  
• FreeBSD-10.2-STABLE-amd64-20151008-r289053-memstick.img -> It does not boot up
  
• FreeBSD-10.2-STABLE-amd64-20151008-r289053-uefi-memstick.img -> It only boots up in UEFI mode.

So, I think it is crystal clear: My motherboard cannot boot up a GPT pendrive in BIOS Legacy Mode, only in UEFI. The thing is that I have the Compatibility Support Module (CSM) enabled and Launch PXE, Storage and Video OpROM Policies in "Legacy only"...

So, what can I do? Is FreeNAS planning to boot up in UEFI Mode?

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[joeschmuck]

I don't know what your configuration is but can you use a boot SSD or hard drive vice the USB flash drive? Give that a try, may not work but worth a shot.

 

[Jerizo]

I have the Asrock N3700, also experiencing difficulties.
Have to use VM to install freenas on stick. Do get grub menu however, no black screen.
Where I get stuck is, mount root error.

Different OS also boots fine off usb.

Tried Sandisk and Kingston usb drives. Both get stuck the same way. Freenas versions ranging from 8.xx to 10 alpha.

 

[darioml]

You will not believe it, really... :(

I even contacted Asrock Support, just in case there was a bug in their BIOS. They even installed FreeNAS to test the issue!! They said that it was booting in ther PCs... so, I was doing something wrong

I even tried to connect the NAS to the monitor through the DisplayPort (I didn't boot up even the BIOS...), instead through HDMI. So... I tried in my TV. Voilá!!!!

Incredible! It was the resolution of my monitor (LG 19'' Widescreen 1440 X 900)!!! It seems that it is not supported somehow by the GRUB menu, so the monitor was black! The more "standard" 1280x720 is supported.

So, I finally booted FreeNAS up!

For the ones with the error at the mountroot point, boot it up in a VM and add the Loader xhci_load equal to "YES" through the GUI, or in the /boot/loader.conf.local include a line:

xhci_load="YES"

in order to enable the USB 3.0 support, even if the USB is plugged in the USB 2.0 ports.

Thanks for everything!

 

[Jerizo]

You used Virtualbox right?
My Vmware VM for some reason only detects the freenas installer pendrive, but not the one its already installed on. I will try with virtual box and report back.

 

[joeschmuck]

It was the resolution of my monitor (LG 19'' Widescreen 1440 X 900)!!!

Seriously? I would think that the GRUB software would command a specific resolution and the monitor would change to it.

But hey, I'm glad you found the issue, as odd as it was.

 

[Jerizo]

[...]
For the ones with the error at the mountroot point, boot it up in a VM and add the Loader xhci_load equal to "YES" through the GUI, or in the /boot/loader.conf.local include a line:

xhci_load="YES"

in order to enable the USB 3.0 support, even if the USB is plugged in the USB 2.0 ports.

[...]

Thanks a ton dude!

I had definitely tried (but not succeeded in configuring) this when doing initial research but running the pendrive in virtualbox first and setting things up there did the trick.

After a bunch of tinkering with the network settings, I am now successfully running freenas 9.3 201510131401 on my home network.

 

[heinz]

For the ones with the error at the mountroot point, boot it up in a VM and add the Loader xhci_load equal to "YES" through the GUI, or in the /boot/loader.conf.local include a line:

xhci_load="YES"

in order to enable the USB 3.0 support, even if the USB is plugged in the USB 2.0 ports.

Hi Dario,
i have the same Asrock Board with V1.3 BIOS. The installation of the FreeNAS-9.3.x hangs at the Mountroot point.
Using USB2 and USB3 sticks.
The Stick boot in a VMware without problems.
The board boot other OS-Images.

Can You give me a hint, how I can add the xhci_load="YES" to the Image ?
Thanks

 

[darioml]

Hi Dario,
i have the same Asrock Board with V1.3 BIOS. The installation of the FreeNAS-9.3.x hangs at the Mountroot point.
Using USB2 and USB3 sticks.
The Stick boot in a VMware without problems.
The board boot other OS-Images.

Can You give me a hint, how I can add the xhci_load="YES" to the Image ?
Thanks

Hi.

Well, you boot in the VM the USB where you have just installed Freenas.

Then, you connect to the GUI from another PC in your same network (or the host PC for the VM) to the IP displayed at the end of the booting process. Then, in the System menu, in the Tunables tab, add a new Tuneable. In Variable, write xhci_load. In value write YES. Type: loader. In comments, write whatever you want. Set it to Enabled and press OK.

In case you cannot access the GUI, you can edit from the console the /boot/loader.conf.local file and add a line with:

xhci_load="YES"

Then, you plug the USB in the Asrock board and it should boot up correctly.

Good luck!

 

[heinz]

Hi.

Well, you boot in the VM the USB where you have just installed Freenas.

Then, you connect to the GUI from another PC in your same network (or the host PC for the VM) to the IP displayed at the end of the booting process. Then, in the System menu, in the Tunables tab, add a new Tuneable. In Variable, write xhci_load. In value write YES. Type: loader. In comments, write whatever you want. Set it to Enabled and press OK.

In case you cannot access the GUI, you can edit from the console the /boot/loader.conf.local file and add a line with:

xhci_load="YES"

Then, you plug the USB in the Asrock board and it should boot up correctly.

Good luck!

Ahh. I thought i can modify the install stick directly. Thanks

 

[heinz]

Finally I got the N3150 ITX running !

I used a USB to SATA converter to "dd" the FreeNAS image with OS/X to a spare harddisk.
Then connected the disk to a SATA connector of the N3150 mainboard.
From there the installer booted normally and I could install everything
to the destination SSD. A ps2-keyboard was needed, because the USB keyboard did not work, even though
'legacy usb' was enabled in the bios.
Then, after adding the xhci tunable from the browser and reboot, the USB keyboard/mouse works again.

Thanks for the support.