Solved Trying to install FreeBSD - boot-only ISOs load syslinux (Debian)

[JinxsBSD]

I have deleted all references to Debian, deleted ISOs and downloaded fresh ones, using new USB sticks and unetbootin, and no matter what I do, it puts
syslinux in and boots to either nothing or Debian. I don't want to install Debian, I want to install FreeBSD. I have a DVD install disk, but it's not bootable, so I need the boot-only disk, too. I did get a successful install before, but mistakenly thought it needed pcloud support and deleted it. I don't need pcloud. I need NFS and FTP, both which I can set up and configure.

I'm trying to install FreeBSD (again) on a $20 refurbished "PCs for People" Dell Optiplex 5050. Frankly, burning the installation DVD is the most difficult part of it for me. And I do have some brain deficits from my first cancer, 2nd met, 3 brain tumors, 3 very sever brain surgeries, whole-brain/max-dose radiation therapy, not to mention severe chemobrain from very harsh chemotherapy.

Again, I do have a DVD for the complete install DVD iso. The problem is the boot-only iso, which, like I said, for some reason, keeps wanting to load Debian Linux (which I had tried, but as I mentioned above, removed all Debian ISOs to make sure they weren't somehow interfering (no idea how they could). So I need a bit of clarification on what could be going wrong here and why both boot--only ISOs from the FreeBSD install site give me Debian. I know that can't be right ... but how is it actually happening?

And if anyone can chime in on how to create a bootable DVD from the full system DVD ISO (from Slackware 15 Linux), please do.

Thanks

 

[SirDice]

The problem is the boot-only iso, which, like I said, for some reason, keeps wanting to load Debian Linux (which I had tried, but as I mentioned above, removed all Debian ISOs to make sure they weren't somehow interfering (no idea how they could). So I need a bit of clarification on what could be going wrong here and why both boot--only ISOs from the FreeBSD install site give me Debian. I know that can't be right ... but how is it actually happening?

Fix the boot issue in the UEFI/BIOS. You're trying to boot from an existing Debian efibootmgr(8). Those settings are stored in UEFI/BIOS. If the FreeBSD install media tries to boot Debian you haven't selected the right boot disk.

And I would suggest using the memstick image and a USB stick to install. I see no reason why this Optiplex won't be able to boot from USB.

 

[JinxsBSD]

Fix the boot issue in the UEFI/BIOS. You're trying to boot from an existing Debian efibootmgr(8). Those settings are stored in UEFI/BIOS. If the FreeBSD install media tries to boot Debian you haven't selected the right boot disk.

And I would suggest using the memstick image and a USB stick to install. I see no reason why this Optiplex won't be able to boot from USB.

Thanks. I'm surprised, though, that it's not the FreeBSD bootmgr that's stuck in there...that's what I went with first.

 

[SirDice]

that it's not the FreeBSD bootmgr that's stuck in there

Those settings are in UEFI variables, and those are stored in the UEFI/BIOS eeprom/flash memory. You can wipe the disk all you want but it won't remove those pesky settings from UEFI/BIOS. So check those first, look at the boot order and what exactly is getting booted first.

 

[JinxsBSD]

Turns out it still had Debian installed. That's why I kept seeing that. It also turns out that the DVD iso that would not boot before does now, after removing everything except for the usb stick and the dvd drive. It's booting up to load FreeBSD now.

Thanks

 

[JinxsBSD]

I forgot about this post. I now have FreeBSD installed, and am currently working with ftpd (for my other systems on my LAN). So if there's a way I mark this thread as solved or closed or whatever, please let me know.

Thanks

 

[richardtoohey2]

Top right by your first post on the thread (not sure I've got the right terminology there!), three dots, Edit thread, change title prefix to Solved in the drop-down that appears.