MBR boot option for VGA install via USB stick please

[thesohogeek]

Hallo

There's a fair few posts around this subject, but the issue remains unresolved in any sensible fashion. It seems that the same is true of a generic FreeBSD mini-memstick install as well. In short, the default GPT/UEFI stuff prevents older hardware from booting the VGA image from USB at all. For me, the curent nano and serial images (MBR) start to boot but don't complete.

I note (as others have) that pfSense does not seem to share this issue.

I have OPNsense deployed and want to stay with this, but if I spend hours trying to make it install because the FreeBSD checksum test decides the IMG is defective then it's tedious... Bootstrapping from a fresh FreeBSD has the same issue for me, so that workaround is no good either. If this is an issue inherited from FreeBSD then please put a large warning on your download page to tell people not to waste the next phase of their lives attempting the seemingly impossible...

Or put a sticky up with some simple instructions that don't assume Windows starting point or comfort using hex editors! I can replicate this issue on Linux (Debian), MacOS, and Windows, and agree that most "burners" can't resolve this either. They either don't accept the ISO image as valid, or hang. So that's no good either.

-tsg

[franco]

Use Nano image, boot installer manually from shell: "opnsense-installer"


Cheers,
Franco

[thesohogeek]

Hi, yes I tried this several times but the nano image crashes while trying to completely load. The serial image does exactly the same thing too, at what looks like the same point, FWIW. So I never get to a point where I can run the installer. Same issues with a stock FreeBSD install too.

However, Debian 10 (Buster = latest stable) installs without a murmur and sits there, taunting me...

Yes, it's old(ish) hardware but if it'll run Buster then why not FreeBSD SystemRescueCD on USB stick boots perfectly too... Now if there was a way to boot an ISO from there, but it seems that FreeBSD/OPNsense ISO images don't support isoloop either - or so Google asserts, it could be wrong!

At this point I'm inclined to give up as this has now wasted hours. There is some sort of issue with FreeBSD here!

- tsg

[franco]

Last resort here is checking for missing BIOS updates. It could help.


Cheers,
Franco

[thesohogeek]

Actually, this is a FreeBSD issue - their forums are full of people describing similar experiences and there are all sorts of lengthy and over complicated "solutions" which essentially boil down to fixing up the basic FreeBSD installer so MBR boot on legacy kit works.

Some complete muppet at FreeBSD has decided that older hardware is irrelevant and you've inherited that decision by basing your system on the same flawed installer. Most people will scoff at my comments and write this off as a rant by an idiot. But if you Google as I did, you might notice that there are a fair few "idiots" out there. I guess we'll all use Linux instead, which installs in seconds on the same hardware and ...

I strongly suggest at least a warning to others to beware if using older MBR boot BIOS or, heaven forbid, an extra downloadable for USB images that gets the boot sectors and partitions right, without expecting you to take a Masters in Rocket Science and DIY. It's one simple fix and problem solved. I'm sure someone here could do it. My skill set lies elsewhere...

[mistergefahrensucher]

Hi guys,

i will share my experience to you.
I spend a lot of time fiddling around for my good "old" LEX UNO based Securepoint firewall.
It has 4GB ram and 64bit CPU. So i thought good for opnsens.
Ok latest bios was from 2012 an no chance to get new one.
These box should be a replacement for my very old LEX UNO 32bit box with pfsense.
My first attempts writing an image to my USB-Stick where bad. I tried rufus and etcher.
Always the same "checksum error" on booting. It looks like both do something with the  partition table.
So then i tried to remove the 8GB SSD out of the Box into e SATA USB adapter.
Booted from CD on another PC wit CD-Drive. Installed opensens on the SSD with MBR partition.
Than put it back in the Box. Finger cross. It boots up.
Everything was ok till i updated to 20.1.7. -> total mess.
I decided to do a fresh install again.
Now i tried another way ,i used USB Image Tool 1.76 fom http://www.alexpage.de
And surprise i was able to boot from my USB-Stick. (so now i put it in my safe  )
I tried the same with pfsense, but no chance. But anyway. This is not really an issue
I will use opnsense because pfsense does not really support foreign hardware.
Also they decided to only support hardware encryption from 2.5 on. This is a big no go.
At the moment i stuck in opnsense with WIFI configuration. This was impossible for me to configure via WEBGUI. Always a lot of php errors. See my Post 79304. Also some entries are not editable because there are to small or content is missing. Also it is not possibel to assign a ath0_wlan0 addapter to an interface. It's not select able. Only the cable ports a visible.

If someone has a idea for this issue. Let me know.

Thanks

[lell186]

Signed up to say that mistergefahrensucher's post helped me out and solved my problems. I had tried rufus and dd to no avail but USB Image Tool 1.76 worked a treat. This was for a Dell Optiplex 7040.