Solved [Solved] FreeBSD 10.0 CPU Support Issue

Alex Seitsinger

Alex Seitsinger

Hello,

I have attempted to install a clean version of the following onto my desktop which has an Intel Core 2 Quad processor with 4GB of non-ECC RAM.


  • 1. 10.0 AMD64
    2. 10.0 i386
    3. 10.0 ia64

None of these installations seem to be functioning properly. After each installation completes and the computer is rebooted, I am left with the error:

"No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key.
Click to expand...

I was able to manually install a copy of Slackware prior to this, and I am able to see the hard drive in the BIOS. I have already attempted to reconfigure the boot settings a number of times to no avail.

I believe I read that this processor was supported, so correct me if I am mistaken. Any advice appreciated.

-A
 
Re: FreeBSD 10.0 CPU Support Issue

No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key.
Click to expand...
Suggests to me that no boot loader has been installed - occasionally I have to
Code: 
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/<your-disk> bs=512 count=1
to clear the boot sector before an OS can put their boot loader onto a disk, (not specific to FreeBSD, but has happened a number of times when using various Linux distros).
 
Re: FreeBSD 10.0 CPU Support Issue

There is no need to mess with dd(1). Disk Setup On FreeBSD shows how to install bootcode for both GPT and MBR partitioning.

Very few people, ever, have had an IA64 computer. Do not use that. A Core 2 Quad can run either i386 (32-bit) or amd64 (64-bit).

No details of the installation are given. Did it occupy the full disk, or was this a multi-boot setup? Was it GPT or MBR? Was automatic partitioning used, or was it manual? Is this one of those Lenovo systems which can't be trusted with disks that don't follow their own non-standard partitioning?
 
Re: FreeBSD 10.0 CPU Support Issue

Thanks for the replies.


  • 1. Full disk install ( Tried 3 different working and tested drives )
    2. GPT***
    3. Automatic partitioning.
    4. Not a lenovo. It was done using an spare, but relatively new Intel board in a custom PC.

Important to note:
1. The partitions are all present, when checked, post install.
2. I have reinstalled slackware 14 AMD64 successfully a second time. I did recognize a driver issue with my (previously installed) ATI Radeon x1800 graphics card and swapped it for a GeForce 8800. The issue disappeared.
 
Re: FreeBSD 10.0 CPU Support Issue

I can't recall, but I thought the 10.0 installer did not do MBR unless it was manually entered. By default, it used GPT.

Which is another possibility. GPT has a "protective" MBR for backwards compatibility. If the active flags are set wrong, a strict BIOS will refuse to boot it. See Thread 42781.
 
Re: FreeBSD 10.0 CPU Support Issue

You can try a simpler approach; get a hold of any Linux based OS (Live CD/DVD) that contains Gparted, boot it on the PC that has the HDD in question and format it as NTFS. After that's done, boot the FreeBSD installation media, follow the installation procedure then let it automatically partition it.
 
Re: FreeBSD 10.0 CPU Support Issue

It's not necessary to download Linux just to erase the disk and start over. The FreeBSD installer CD or memory stick has a shell mode which has all the standard commands, including dd(1), which makes it easy to erase all or part of a disk.

But how will the new install be different from what was done originally?
 
Re: FreeBSD 10.0 CPU Support Issue

I think that by adjusting the format of the HD to NTFS, I am eliminating the previously over restrictive BIOS settings, right?
 
Re: FreeBSD 10.0 CPU Support Issue

I'm with @wblock@ on this one. I don't think that formatting your hard disk as NTFS is going to get you anywhere. In terms of diagnosing your immediate issue, I suggest taking a shorter route than doing a fresh FreeBSD installation. Why not try manually installing the (old) FreeBSD boot manager and fiddling with the BIOS settings to fix the initial boot issue, even if you won't (yet) have a full system up and running? Then you can install FreeBSD properly.

Boot to your FreeBSD 10.0 AMD64 installation media and select Live CD. Log in as root with no password. You need to know what device your hard disk is. It may well be /dev/ada0, assuming you only have one installed. First out, wipe away any existing partition scheme with:
Code: 
# gpart destroy -F /dev/ada0

Create an MBR partition scheme (though you really should consider GPT instead for when you install properly) with:
Code: 
# gpart create -s MBR /dev/ada0

Install the FreeBSD boot manager boot0 with:
Code: 
# gpart bootcode -b /boot/boot0 /dev/ada0
Note that this is not the boot code you will be using when you properly install FreeBSD. I suggest it for diagnostic purposes as it displays a boot menu when it runs.

Restart with:
Code: 
# shutdown -r now
Then remove the installation media and reboot. If the boot manager starts you will see a very boring screen (but not the error message) saying something like:
Code: 
F6 PXE
Boot:

Given that you have posted, I am fully expecting that you will see the same error message as you saw before, but now you can try changing your BIOS settings until you get the system starting from the hard disk. Have you checked your BIOS for listed boot devices? Have you checked the boot order? Are there any configuration options where the function isn't clear? Is your BIOS the latest version from the manufacturer?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Re: FreeBSD 10.0 CPU Support Issue

Thanks for this.

I did re-configure the BIOS settings a number of times with no success. I did check to find that the HD was recognized within the BIOS after the install, but it was still unable to boot. I think its possible that reformatting under GPT rather than MBR, despite being able to run Slackware with MBR on the same HD, may provide me with a solution. I will explore the above and let you all know shortly.
 
Re: FreeBSD 10.0 CPU Support Issue

gpart set -a active ada0

Solved the issue. Can someone tell me why this needed to be set?
 
Re: FreeBSD 10.0 CPU Support Issue

alexseitsinger said:
gpart set -a active ada0

Solved the issue. Can someone tell me why this needed to be set?
Click to expand...

It's a well know BIOS/MBR bug/feature. The MBR standard even though it is a standard is unclear on whether the bootable partition needs to be set active or not and different manufacturers either require it or don't require it. In this case the protective MBR that is needed for booting from the otherwise GPT partitioned disk defaults to not active for the pseudo partition that covers the whole disk.

I think there are also some issues with newer systems that have UEFI if the protective MBR partition is marked active, that's probably the other reason why it's not on by default.
 
Re: FreeBSD 10.0 CPU Support Issue

kpa said:
It's a well know BIOS/MBR bug/feature. The MBR standard even though it is a standard is unclear on whether the bootable partition needs to be set active or not and different manufacturers either require it or don't require it. In this case the protective MBR that is needed for booting from the otherwise GPT partitioned disk defaults to not active for the pseudo partition that covers the whole disk.

I think there are also some issues with newer systems that have UEFI if the protective MBR partition is marked active, that's probably the other reason why it's not on by default.
Click to expand...

Thanks for clarifying. Also, thanks to everyone else for pitching in.

-A
 
Re: FreeBSD 10.0 CPU Support Issue

Yes, strict UEFI implementations will not boot if the PMBR partition was marked active. The FreeBSD PMBR had this wrong up until it was fixed a while back.
 
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