BSD 13.1 Install can't seem to find my NIC - Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4A

[ChirrutCanSee]

Hello! I'm relatively new to Linux and definitely green with BSD. I'm attempting to install and having an issue with obtaining files.

First, my confusion is with the missing files themselves, as I'm not doing a network installation and am using the .img file from USB. I used Win32DiskImagerto create the boot loader there. I also confirmed the hash with chksum. Given this, why would I be missing files?

Aside from that, though, my main problem seems to be that I can't use my NIC during the install. ifconfig only gives me a status on the loopback, so there's that, but I've also tried to bring the NIC up with dhclient and am not having any luck there. But, given that I can't see the NIC, I suppose that doesn't surprise me.

My stopping point during the install happens after creating partitions and committing those changes. The install process then allows me to select a site to download the missing files from, but of course this is where it ends since there's no connection.

Thanks in advance for any help! I've searched here in the forums and elsewhere in general, but am not finding much outside of what I've already tried.

 

[T-Daemon]

First, my confusion is with the missing files themselves, as I'm not doing a network installation and am using the .img file from USB.

My stopping point during the install happens after creating partitions and committing those changes. The install process then allows me to select a site to download the missing files from, but of course this is where it ends since there's no connection.

Did you maybe use a mini-memstick (FreeBSD-13.1-RELEASE-amd64-mini-memstick.img*)? That image doesn't include kernel, system or other packages, they need to be downloaded.

If that's the case use "FreeBSD-13.1-RELEASE-amd64-memstick.img".

If it's not the case, maybe you have checked additional components to install besides the ones checked by default:



"base-dbg" and "lib32-dbg" are not included in the FreeBSD-13.1-RELEASE-amd64-memstick.img .

Aside from that, though, my main problem seems to be that I can't use my NIC during the install.

If looks like the Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4A chipset is unsupported on FreeBSD. grep(1)'ing the FreeBSD source code didn't return anything.

 

[SirDice]

Any chance you could do the install using a wired connection? It's much easier to set up a wireless interface after the system has been installed. That said, I'm not sure this wireless interface is supported.

 

[ChirrutCanSee]

Any chance you could do the install using a wired connection? It's much easier to set up a wireless interface after the system has been installed. That said, I'm not sure this wireless interface is supported.

Thanks SirDice, but no on-board connection is available. I think I'll have to get a USB wifi adapter, if I want to get all the extras that T-Daemon mentioned... I'm pretty sure that's the root of my issue, now that it's been brought to light.

Did you maybe use a mini-memstick (FreeBSD-13.1-RELEASE-amd64-mini-memstick.img*)? That image doesn't include kernel, system or other packages, they need to be downloaded.

If that's the case use "FreeBSD-13.1-RELEASE-amd64-memstick.img".

If it's not the case, maybe you have checked additional components to install besides the ones checked by default:

View attachment 15135

"base-dbg" and "lib32-dbg" are not included in the FreeBSD-13.1-RELEASE-amd64-memstick.img


If looks like the Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4A chipset is unsupported on FreeBSD. grep(1)'ing the FreeBSD source code didn't return anything.

Thanks as well, T. I did indeed check the "extra" options, as I was interested in the ports tree and test suite. I should have realized those files might be the 'missing' ones. As I mentioned to SirDice, I think it might be worthwhile to get a USB wifi adapter, but then again there's no guarantee that's supported, so no need to waste the $$.

I think I'll just try the install with the default files included and go from there.

 

[SirDice]

if I want to get all the extras that T-Daemon mentioned...

You don't need base-dbg or lib32-dbg.

 

[ChirrutCanSee]

You don't need base-dbg or lib32-dbg.

Thanks for that clarification. I was able to install successfully after excluding just those two debuggers, as well as leaving the ports, src and tests included.

New problem, though... I can't boot into FreeBSD. The laptop I'm using for this has a Windows installation on a 120GB SSD, while there is also 932GB HD where I installed FreeBSD. I've switched from legacy boot back to UEFI, and ensured that the boot order should go to the 932GB drive first, but to no avail. Every reboot boots back into Windows. It's like the bootloader just isn't there.

I've found a couple threads here with similar issues, but haven't found a concrete solution just yet.

I've also got an older Lenovo top that I tried to use yesterday, but it only has a single 64GB HD and I can't find a way to wipe the Windows installation off of that, either. I can't shrink the space there enough to gain enough space for FreeBSD. I thought I could maybe use Shell to just wipe the drive with gpart, but can't find any commands that look like they would work.

Let me know if I should just create a new thread for this, as my initial problem is definitely resolved.

 

[SirDice]

New problem, though... I can't boot into FreeBSD. The laptop I'm using for this has a Windows installation on a 120GB SSD, while there is also 932GB HD where I installed FreeBSD. I've switched from legacy boot back to UEFI, and ensured that the boot order should go to the 932GB drive first, but to no avail. Every reboot boots back into Windows. It's like the bootloader just isn't there.

Copy /boot/loader.efi to the efi partition, it should be in a sub-directory of that filesystem; EFI/FreeBSD/loader.efi. And the easiest is to install rEFInd there too. No need to configure rEFInd, it should pick up the Windows and FreeBSD loaders automagically. Just configure your system to boot rEFInd.

UEFI booting works quite different compared to the 'old school' way of booting a system.