Applied latest updates for 25.1 and now system won't boot

[devilkin]

I'm running an APU2E4, so should I be worried? Apply that UART tuneable before updating?

[oldhome7]

I think you are misleading us with your posts and/or you are looking at the wrong cause for your issue (recent Intel microcode is also breaking some systems).

The UART not working for older hardware *was* fixed in 25.1.6. The age of the hardware can be irrelevant as the BIOS is responsible for advertising a device as ISA or ACPI in FreeBSD. FreeBSD *thought* that ISA is deprecated, but their code is likely faulty because the consoles are not even connected via ISA in the first place.

https://github.com/opnsense/src/commit/52bb0884e6

That being said they did try to fix newer devices not booting  so now these devices don't have a console anymore.

If there was a best of both worlds we would go for it, but going back to the old way that works for most is the best approach at the moment.

Before I knew this was potentially a FreeBSD issue, this is what finally gave me the motivation to switch from pf to opn.

I originally tried installing 25.1.7 but I had the same issue I did with pf and it would hang at:

isa0: <ISA bus> on isab0

It's running bare metal on an Dell R510.

I did get 24.1.10 to go but I'm afraid to try any newer.

Is there a way to determine if it's FreeBSD or the Intel microcode issue? And, what would be needed to prevent either?

[franco]

You install 25.1, not 25.1.7. 25.1 doesn't work, but 25.1.6 and upwards do like 24.7.x and all the releases before.

As for microcode: https://github.com/opnsense/ports/issues/230

I'm merely trying to shed light on these issues as they unfold(ed). 25.1.x is a good release series, but with all the components we have things like these are always bound to happen (did you see the fun thing with the latest Kea release... :) )


Cheers,
Franco

[OPNenthu]

(Intel microcode issue aside...)

The "gotcha" is that OPNsense installers are only released twice yearly.  There was 25.1 and I think the next installer image will be 25.7.  So at time of writing there is no 25.x installer image that has this mitigated.

If you have an affected device and you are installing OPNsense freshly from the 25.1 image, then you need to "prime" the installer with the tunables so you don't get stuck.  You can do this from the FreeBSD boot menu by pressing '3' ("Escape to loader prompt").  From there you can enter tunables with the 'set' command, followed by 'boot'.  Example:

Code Select Expand

set hint.uart.0.at="isa"
boot

Once installed, you can then update OPNsense to the latest release.  Alternatively, you can persist the tunable(s) by adding them in System->Settings->Tunables if you will not be updating to at least 25.1.6 for whatever reason.

Apologies for the generic boot screenshot: this is from a vanilla FreeBSD VM.  I don't have the OPNsense installer handy at the moment, but the boot loader screen is the same/similar except for the logos.

I don't know what specific tunables might be needed for other devices (there are older threads you can search for) but at least for Protectli V1410 (N5105) and the older VP2410 (J4125) I only needed this one tunable to get them working at the time.

[oldhome7]

Code Select Expand

set hint.uart.0.at="isa"
boot


Is there a difference between that and:

Code Select Expand

set hint.uart.0.at="isa"
autoboot

That's what I tried when pf gave me the issue, after asking on their forum, and it didn't change anything. Also tried with both uart.0 and uart.1 together which was also suggested.

[OPNenthu]

Looks like one command just boots instantly (and can take options or specific kernels) while the other boots the current kernel after some delay.  Shouldn't make any practical difference for this, I think, since you're just setting some variables.

https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/boot/

[oldhome7]

Okay, guess that means I'll have to wait until 25.7 it sounds like. Though it does also sound like I should be able to go to 24.7 at least, if I'm not mistaken.