Solved 11.0 on PC Engine APU2

Hi,

I have a problem with the installation on FreeBSD 11.0-RELEASE on an APU2.
I used the official memstick image available but even if the system loads on USB, i am locked on "Booting..." after the boot choice.

I tried to add the parameter "kern.cam.boot_delay=10000" and disable the ACPI without success.
When I activate the verbose mode, i have no more additionnal messages.

The system work on 10.3.
 
Which baudrate did you configure? IIRC the APU1 (and probably the APU2) BIOS defaults to 115200 baud but FreeBSD still defaults to 9600 baud.
 
Phishfry: There is no reason to even try to use a video console on the PCengine APU boards as they have no video outputs, but it might be useful if you have to debug the mSATA disks content on a different system.
 
It works ! Thank you.

For memory :
on my key in the /boot/loader.conf, I added
Code:
boot_multicons="YES"
boot_serial="YES"
comconsole_speed="115200"
console="comconsole,vidconsole"
kern.cam.boot_delay="10000"
It will be faster next time :)

During the reboot, I escaped to loader prompt (3) and added:
Code:
set boot_multicons="YES"
set boot_serial="YES"
set comconsole_speed="115200"
set console="comconsole,vidconsole"
boot

After the reboot, I added again in the /boot/loader.conf
Code:
boot_multicons="YES"
boot_serial="YES"
comconsole_speed="115200"
console="comconsole,vidconsole"

After all works fine!
 
There is no reason to even try to use a video console on the PCengine APU boards as they have no video outputs
Actually the CPU has video cores and it confuses FreeBSD into thinking it has video. By adding the above it works with both.
 
  • Thanks
Reactions: jef
Add this as well to your /boot/loader.conf for CPU temperatures from the APU2/3
Code:
amdtemp_load="YES"

Code:
koot@APU3: # sysctl dev.amdtemp
dev.amdtemp.0.core0.sensor0: 61.1C
dev.amdtemp.0.sensor_offset: 0
dev.amdtemp.0.%parent: hostb5
dev.amdtemp.0.%pnpinfo:
dev.amdtemp.0.%location:
dev.amdtemp.0.%driver: amdtemp
dev.amdtemp.0.%desc: AMD CPU On-Die Thermal Sensors
dev.amdtemp.%parent:
 
Yes. The CPU here has the video cores built in the CPU. For PCEngines it is probably cheaper to just acquire stock CPU instead of special CPU with no video cores.
So FreeBSD detects the video cores and that is why you must use vidconsole.

I see this in many embedded boxes. No video jacks at all, totally headless but CPU has video cores.
Many embedded router boards I have need dual console. That is what comconsole,vidconsole provides.
Dual consoles either serial or video.
The order matters too console=vidconsole,comconsole would use vidconsole as primary output instead and both would still work.
 
I am certainly no expert on the subject either. I just know what is needed to make APU2 work. Plus my Lanners and Portwells.
Some of the more complex settings on Netgate boxes even include com port addresses, UART flags and all kinds of stuff.

Code:
echo 'comconsole_port="0x2F8"' >> /boot/loader.conf
echo 'comconsole_speed="115200"' >> /boot/loader.conf
echo 'hint.uart.0.flags=0x0' >> /boot/loader.conf
echo 'hint.uart.1.flags=0x10' >> /boot/loader.conf
echo 'console="comconsole"' >> /boot/loader.conf
echo '-h' > /boot.config
mv /etc/ttys /etc/ttys.bak
echo 'ttyu1 "/usr/libexec/getty std.115200" vt100 onifconsole secure' > /etc/ttys
exit

This allows for COM2 to be used for a console.
 
Last edited:
Phishfry: There is no reason to even try to use a video console on the PCengine APU boards as they have no video outputs, but it might be useful if you have to debug the mSATA disks content on a different system.

Actually the CPU has video cores and it confuses FreeBSD into thinking it has video. By adding the above it works with both.

Ok I have to admidt it. I was wrong. console=comconsole is all that is needed on a headless rig, even with video on the cores.
Vidconsole not needed on a 'serial console only' install. For a dual console it is needed.
There were no adverse effects but I hate to look stupid with wrong answers.

The excellent Netgate guides for installing on a headless computer with vidcores is what made me try again.
https://www.netgate.com/docs/platforms/rcc-ve-2440/freebsd.html
 
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