Solution for those who cannot install 9.3 to USB flash disk (ERROR 2)

[Memyself]

First post (and registration just to post this).

This is what I've got :

intel pentium g620
asus p8h67 m pro
kingston datatraveler micro usb 2.0 8gb
adata premier pro sp600 32gb

And a decent 24GB of RAM.

This server is build from spare parts (and some new). I downloaded the 9.3 stable ISO, wrote the image to a USB flash disk and started installing. All worked well until I came to the question to remove the installation media and reboot. I've chosen to shut it down, remove the installation media and booted again. It comes almost to the point where it should say : "Loading early kernel modules" followed by something called RAID5. There it quits :

Trying to mount root from zfs:freenas-boot/ROOT/default []...
Mounting from zfs:freenas-boot/ROOT/default failed with error 2.

Loader variables:
vfs.root.mountfrom=zfs:freenas-boot/ROOT/default

Manual root filesystem specification:
<fstype>:<device> [options]
Mount <device> using filesystem <fstype>
and with specified (optional) option list.

eg. ufs:/dev/da0s1a
zfs:tank
cd9660:/dev/acd0 ro
(which is equivalent to: mount -t cd9660 -o ro /dev/acd0 /)

? List valid disk boot devices
. Yield 1 second (for background tasks)
<empty line> Abot manual input

mountroot>

So I went to look here, and people stated it was the GPT partition table, or the specific flash drive causing trouble. So I went through all the hint and tips only to get the same result.

And then I was silly and forgot to remove the installation media. And voila, it booted fine! The installation media has a led to see if it is active and it was blinking. So, after the message "please remove installation media and reboot" it still seemed to require the media. After completing the installation and rebooting, I decided to remove the media and reboot again. And it failed again!

Thought : something could have been written to the installation media, and it is required at boot. So, I found an old CD ROM player and attached it to my system. Burned the downloaded ISO and tried to install Freenet from CD. Long story short, same result.

As a last resort, I downloaded the 9.2.1 ISO, burned it to CD and tried again. This time, after removing the CD, it did actually boot. Subsequently, I used the GUI Update to get to 9.3, and finally updated 9.3 to the latest stable and it all functions beautiful.

Conclusion : the 9.3 STABLE ISO contains a flaw. It leaves a reference in the installation to connect to the installation media. 9.2.1 does not show this behaviour, so start from there and then upgrade the system by using the web interface.

 

[dlavigne]

Conclusion : the 9.3 STABLE ISO contains a flaw. It leaves a reference in the installation to connect to the installation media. 9.2.1 does not show this behaviour, so start from there and then upgrade the system by using the web interface.

That is probably not the right conclusion. Were you using 2 USB drives? e.g. one with the install media and one to install to? What model of thumbdrives and what size are they?

 

[Memyself]

That is probably not the right conclusion. Were you using 2 USB drives? e.g. one with the install media and one to install to? What model of thumbdrives and what size are they?

Like stated, the flash usb drive used to install on to is the kingston datatraveler micro usb 2.0 (8GB). The flash drive to install from is unknown, it presents itself as CBM Flash Disk (1GB). I also used a Kingston DataTraveler 100 G2 (also 8GB) to install FreeNAS onto. All disks are USB2, USB3 is present on the board but disabled in the BIOS.

Installing FreeNAS 9.3 Stable from the CBM disk to either Kingston drive fails. It will only boot with the CBM disk attached, and I can see it being used in the process.
Installing FreeNAS 9.3 Stable from a CD-ROM to either Kingston drive fails. It will only boot with the CD-ROM attached, and I can see it being used in the process.

It seems like it wants to mount something on the installation source.

Installing FreeNAS 9.2.1 Stable from a CD-ROM to the Kingston datatraveler micro usb 2.0 (8GB) works. Subsequently upgrading to 9.3, and upgrading to latest release works fine.

To be more precise, I tried different USB2 slots, 2 different flash drives to install FreeNAS on, completely wiping the Kingston disks, formatting them FAT32 MBR instead of GPT partition table. It had no effect unless I left the installation source attached after installation. Right at the point where RAID5 drivers are started, you will see that the CBM disk is being read, or in case of a CD-ROM, the drive spins up and you will hear the head seeking. If you subsequently shutdown FreeNAS, disconnect the installation media and try to boot, the same error wil occur. This was a situation I could repeat over and over.

 

[odinfix]

I was running into a similar issue. I tried installing 9.3 stable (the last 2 stable versions, in fact) to a single Kingston 8 GB DataTraveler, to 2 identical ones mirrored, to a brand new Sony 8GB, to a brand new Sony 16 GB....from both multiple usbs AND from multiple CDs of each version. AND I tried all of the above on 3 machines - one of which has been my stable freenas 9.x server for over a year and rock solid. the only way I got around it was to either leave the CD / Install usb present through the reboot OR (at least on the latest stable release [jan 30th, I believe]) I made sure to leave the install usb attached after the "Remove and Reboot" post-install msg. I would hit ok, select and apply the Reboot from the returning installer menu, let everything cycle, and then pull the stick only AFTER the bios was happily counting RAM. I've repeated it this way 3 times now, and works.

As for the stability of 9.3 - boot, mirror boot, or overall - well I've rebuilt about 30 times now in the last few weeks. On different and solid hardware, media, and so forth. And as yet, I'm very very nervous to begin dumping anything to the NAS. I'm to the point where I'm thinking of going back to 9.2.x on a stable interim NAS and just testing ahead with 9.3 until it actually works for more than a day consecutively on any hardware without some issue or another.

NOT trying to bitch here - the FreeNAS Team and products have been amazing for years, and I recommend them to small biz and home users all the time. But I'm sorry, 9.3 just feels like it was rushed and should still be in RC.