Corrupt image and incomplete instructions to burn USB stick on Windows

[interfaSys]

I've tried to burn the vga image of 17.1 on Windows using the utility described in the doc.

Code: [Select]

1048576/939001344 bytes writtenWrite error after 1048576 bytes.
I've also tried with rufus, which doesn't complain, but the stick doesn't boot. The error messages says something about a corrupt GPT or invalid checksum.

I've also tried to burn the cdrom image, but rufus can't burn it because of an unknown compression scheme being used.

Has anybody managed to burn an image on Windows?

[interfaSys]

I've compared the burn logs between 2 images, one from OPNsense and one from the competition, which works.

OPNsense

Code: [Select]

Disk type: Removable, Sector Size: 512 bytes
Cylinders: 971, TracksPerCylinder: 255, SectorsPerTrack: 63
Partition type: MBR, NB Partitions: 1
Disk ID: 0x00000000
Drive has an unknown Master Boot Record
Partition 1:
  Type: GPT Protective MBR (0xee)
  Size: 895.5 MB (939001344 bytes)
  Start Sector: 1, Boot: No

Competition

Code: [Select]

Disk type: Removable, Sector Size: 512 bytes
Cylinders: 971, TracksPerCylinder: 255, SectorsPerTrack: 63
Partition type: MBR, NB Partitions: 1
Disk ID: 0x90909090
Drive has an unknown Master Boot Record
Partition 4:
  Type: FreeBSD (0xa5)
  Size: 24.4 MB (25600000 bytes)
  Start Sector: 0, Boot: Yes
The OPNsense image is not bootable. Same with 16.7

[interfaSys]

So the solution is to not burn the image using Windows...

[interfaSys]

The image is still broken. No installation menu is being offered. The stick boots and becomes the router/firewall.

[hedberg]

Thanks for your hint about writing the image from Linux. Rember to invoke the installer during boot - It timeouts in a few seconds.

[franco]

We still don't know why Windows is so hostile towards a binary image it simply needs to write one to one...

We have cleared up the installer issues on GitHub:

You can invoke the early installer, but it times out if no key is pressed. Incidentally, this was a feature request from interfaSys from a while back. So yay for progress.

The installer can be invoked by logging in as "installer" with the password "opnsense". I believe it also says so in the banner above the menu.

We will document this soon in the docs instead of just mentioning it in the release notes. Sorry for the delay.


Cheers,
Franco

[interfaSys]

In my case I never see the installer.
I'm offered to boot to HD or USB (F1 or F5). Pressing F5 boots the USB stick, there is no installer menu. It would be strange if this was hardware related. My boot is set to legacy mode.

[franco]

Well, "I never see the installer" is ambiguous, because you indeed never see the installer, because it doesn't invoke it by default.

You should see a timeout for the early installer. You should see a login prompt. But you never see the installer.

If you don't see the timeout for the early installer or the login prompt, there is a different issue with the console.

[interfaSys]

Then there is a bigger problem because I don't see a timeout or login prompt. As soon as the stick is selected, the OS is loaded.

[franco]

1. There's a splash screen.

2. Then there's a bright white kernel boot.

3. Then there's a first bot of grey init startup.

4. Right about here there is a timeout for the early installer.

5. Thereafter, there is a timeout for the interface setup.

6. Finally, the system continues running init into the login prompt.

Which of these are you not seeing?