Solved [Solved] GPT boot loader not valid

D

dpalme

I have been trying to get a new install completed on a Dell 2950 with 4 2tb drives (setup as a raid-5 with the onboard controller) for two days now, but I keep getting some errors. I initially had it working but I had it configured incorrectly so I decided to do a reinstall and since then its not worked.

I've read that using an MBR might help, but it looks like MBR only allows for 2tb max capacity for a mount point and that isn't going to work for me.

This is going to be acting as a backup machine so I need the space to be all usable.

the last install I deleted the auto configured mount points and set the boot section to 128k, swap to 500gb and then used the rest for /.

all I keep getting now is a gptboot invalid error message and then it drops to mountroot:

Suggestions?
 
Re: GPT boot loader not valid

Okay, this is really frustrating.

Does anyone have any idea on this? I've wasted three days trying to get this working.

I dropped into a shell during the partitioning phase and did a gpart destroy -F mifd0 and it said it was destroyed. I went back and did a fresh install and still getting the same BS error:

Code: 
gptboot: invalid backup GPT header
gptboot: no /boot/loader on 0:ad(0p2)
gptboot: no /boot/kernel/kernel on 0:ad(0p2)

FreeBSD/x86boot
Default: 0:ad(0p2)/boot/kernel/kernel

boot:
 
Re: GPT boot loader not valid

Please describe which version of FreeBSD is being used. ad0 suggests FreeBSD 9 or earlier. It is also different from the RAID device mfid0.

invalid backup GPT header happens when disk partitioning is changed or overwritten by something not GPT-aware.

For reference: Disk Setup On FreeBSD.
 
Re: GPT boot loader not valid

Any idea where to start looking ? I have no idea what could be overwriting it.
 
Re: GPT boot loader not valid

Possibly RAID metadata created by the controller, but that would only apply if the RAID was created after the partitioning. Many people recommend using the RAID controller in non-RAID mode (JBOD) and using ZFS to create a RAID-Z1. This avoids having to rely on that specific controller. The data can be read on other systems with different controllers.

It's not clear what commands or version of FreeBSD was used. If you want to stick with the hardware RAID with UFS, create the RAID volume first, then use gpart(8) as shown in the first part of the disk setup document.
 
Re: GPT boot loader not valid

I used the hardware raid to setup the virtual disk, so if I expand the raid later am I going to run into the same problem again? Provided I can get this working.

I even deleted the raid last night and recreated it from scratch (4 hours) so I am not sure why all of a sudden the raid controller is causing issues.
 
Re: GPT boot loader not valid

This can't be this damn difficult.....

I ran through and created the partitions as you had in your previous message, they were all created successfully, but I wasn't able to get it to continue installing the OS. so I went back and let it run through its normal installation, all successful, boot up and get the same stupid error.
 
Re: GPT boot loader not valid

dpalme said:
I used the hardware raid to setup the virtual disk, so if I expand the raid later am I going to run into the same problem again?
Click to expand...

With GPT, yes. The GPT backup table is at the end of the disk. If the disk gets bigger, the table is in the wrong place.

I even deleted the raid last night and recreated it from scratch (4 hours) so I am not sure why all of a sudden the raid controller is causing issues.
Click to expand...

ZFS can create a pool in seconds.
 
Re: GPT boot loader not valid

I'm concerned about using software based raid, my past experience has been its unreliable and does not allow you to do a hot swap.
 
Re: GPT boot loader not valid

dpalme said:
This can't be this damn difficult.....

I ran through and created the partitions as you had in your previous message, they were all created successfully, but I wasn't able to get it to continue installing the OS.
Click to expand...

If I knew what version of FreeBSD you were using, I could point you to the man page. The one for bsdinstall tells where to mount those partitions, for instance. Sorry I didn't think to ask that before.
 
Re: GPT boot loader not valid

Its still not loading correctly. I have never in my life had this much trouble with an install... I know I'm not the sharpest pencil in the drawer, but this crap is for the birds.
 
Re: GPT boot loader not valid

Then why is it only you having so much trouble with the installation? All the reports I have seen so far indicate that GPT installation works just fine for huge majority of FreeBSD users.
 
Re: GPT boot loader not valid

I have tried everything that I can think of, but this isn't working....

By tomorrow it'll be FOUR wasted days on this mess.
 
Re: GPT boot loader not valid

Ok,
Here is what I'm going try a little later this afternoon. There is apparently an internal USB port on the 2950, I'm going to load a 4GB flash stick in that port and use that for the load, that should get me around the GPT error issue.

There is no way to access the drives in the array with the raid controller turned off or disabled, at least not from what I have been able to see.

So turning off the card doesn't seem to be a viable solution.

I'll update later on my success or failure on this latest attempt.
 
Re: GPT boot loader not valid - SOLVED

Ok here's the deal:

Dell Poweredge 2950 with a PER6/i Onboard raid controller card is NOT COMPATIBLE WITH FREEBSD by itself.

The machine has an internal USB port, you can use one of the external ports but that allows for someone to play with it, break it off, whatever, so its best to put it in the chassis. Make sure its at least 16gb so you can load the OS on the flash drive and then load as normal.

Use the raid for extra storage, etc.

I did not attempt to create any /usr /tmp /home or other partitions on the raid array, I simply set it up as /backup for my backup processes.

Its loaded up fine, a little slower than I'd like.
 
Re: GPT boot loader not valid

As a followup message, I did go back and reload it with /usr moved to the raid array, I probably should have created the /tmp and /var over there as well to improve performance, just didn't think of it at the time.
 
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