Cannot install FreeBSD 4.11

E

emartin1

Hello,
I'm new to FreeBSD and I'm stuck trying to install it. I made an ISO cd, which will load fine. I can get to the "FIS VBU - FreeBSD Universal Installer " screen were I chose "Load FreeBSD Install Menu" from there I get to the "FreeBSD Kernal options" screen. I leave the setup as it is and I choose option 1: boot. Here is were I run into problems, after I choose boot my screen starts loading alot of commands then it freezes with the last line saying "ata4-slave: ATAPI Identify retries exceeded" I'm confused to what I did wrong or what the problem may be. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
 
Unfortunately this is for a customer so I don't have the option to update to a newer version. It seems like its not recognizing some of the hardware or something.

I got this ISO from the customers website which they have loaded on other servers.
 
Ok...had to go refresh my self on the 4.x install.

4.11 was released in 2004...is the hardware that old? Otherwise it's a really good bet that it not going to recognize newer hardware.
 
This is what we are using:
  • Intel Core I7 Processor
  • 4Gb DDR ECC Memory
  • X8ST3 motherboard
  • 2x 1TB Seagate drives

Is it possible to update 4.11 software so it could recognize the newer hardware?
 
emartin1 said:
I'm new to FreeBSD and I'm stuck trying to install it. I made an ISO cd, which will load fine. I can get to the "FIS VBU - FreeBSD Universal Installer " screen were I chose "Load FreeBSD Install Menu" from there I get to the "FreeBSD Kernal options" screen.
Click to expand...
I don't know what you got there but it isn't a normal FreeBSD install CD. It should look exactly like the pictures in the handbook. Sysinstall was already around and never changed (only the recent 9.0 beta has a new/different installer).

Is it possible to update 4.11 software so it could recognize the newer hardware?
Click to expand...
No, 4.11 went End-of-Life eons ago.
 
SirDice said:
I don't know what you got there but it isn't a normal FreeBSD install CD. It should look exactly like the pictures in the handbook. Sysinstall was already around and never changed (only the recent 9.0 beta has a new/different installer).
Click to expand...

No that was what the 4.x install was like. I had to go look at old installs but once I did that I do recall it. If your interested here is a link http://test.davidpierron.com/install_freebsd.php
 
I've been using FreeBSD since version 3.3. I can assure you sysinstall looked the same since I first saw it ;)

The first few pictures are from the kernel configuration, in which you could add/remove drivers. This had nothing to do with the installer. It also doesn't match the OP's description.
 
FreeBSD 4.x does not (AFAIR) support SATA, especially not when connected to an AHCI-compliant SATA controller. You may be able to install it using an IDE/PATA drive, if that motherboard has an IDE controller. But, you won't be able to use the 1 TB drives, you'll need to dig up some older IDE drives.

FreeBSD 4.x also doesn't support PCIe, so anything connected via a PCIe bus will not be supported.

If you want to install on modern hardware (and an i7 is about as modern as it comes), then you need to use a modern OS that includes drivers for modern hardware.
 
emartin1 said:
Unfortunately this is for a customer so I don't have the option to update to a newer version. It seems like its not recognizing some of the hardware or something.
Click to expand...

How about installing FreeBSD 8.2-RELEASE and creating the FreeBSD 4.11 Jail?
 
vermaden said:
How about installing FreeBSD 8.2-RELEASE and creating the FreeBSD 4.11 Jail?
Click to expand...

Or install the host OS of your choice (FreeBSD), VM software of choice (VirtualBox), and install FreeBSD 4.11 as a guest. Buy now and as a free bonus get the ability to run multiple guests at the same time!
 
@emartin1

Remember also, that OpenSSH that is in 4.11 base system has security issue, disable it and install latest OpenSSH from Ports.
 
Many people are stuck at 4.11 because this was the last version that could run SCO binaries correctly. After 4.11 you get Abort Trap when running most SCO software.
Finding a new PC that will install correctly is hard work, and a case of trial and error. Try and stick with onboard graphics. A Dlink or Belkin gigabit card will work.
The messages you are getting don't look like 4.11 to me. It should start off at a menu with Start Kernel in Full screen mode. If you don't get as far as that, try different hardware combinations.
A SATA hard drive is OK, but use an old CD or DVD drive.
If you are not familiar with 4.11, install it on an old PC first, to get to know what to expect.
4.11 is not really secure enough for external use, but ok if it lives behind a firewall. I still have 5 4.11 servers running, and until the SCO bug gets fixed, that's what they'll stay as...
 
I think it has been abandoned. There have been some posts with ideas about what is causing it, but I've never found a workaround. It's a pity because FreeBSD has some oddball things supported, and I'd have thought SCO support would have still been in demand for legacy applications. I think it is down to directories not being where binaries expect to find them by default. It just broke after 4.11. The option to add SCO support still shows in the list all these years later. Maybe some simple code still runs.
 
I remember seeing something about it on the mailing lists (maybe freebsd-emulation), but didn't pay attention. If SCO binaries are important, getting that subsystem fixed to work on a current release is worthwhile.
 
As I'm sure you know SCO was a big player in UNIX years ago, and their licences were not cheap. We had to pay-per-user. Similarly SCO versions of relational databases were expensive and well written, with costly pay-per-user licenses and many survive today. The stability of UNIX and the purely number-crunching TTY based applications that now run happily on Windows Terminal Emulators are still hard to beat. It's just a pity that everything else seems to move along nicely on FreeBSD and SCO support just got abandoned. Sadly I don't know anyone in the community to ask for help on this.
 
You can try looking for existing PRs, add to them, or even create new ones. Without a PR I doubt anything will improve.
 
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