All your X11SSH-F questions answered here!

[Ericloewe]

As DrKK said, you need 2 devices. I did the full install on my Windows 7 computer because it was easier to get the install onto the SSD for me.

1. I burned the FreeNAS ISO file to a CD, and powered down my computer.
2. Then I opened up the case to my Win7 computer and plugged in the SSD (my future FreeNAS boot drive) into a SATA port on the motherboard.
3. I booted the my Win7 computer to the CD and followed the install steps from one of the youtube guides. Make sure you select your installation drive to be the SSD.
4. After install, power down your computer, and take the SSD over to your FreeNAS computer and boot it up! If it's connected to your router it should automatically give you an IP that you can use to bring up the GUI and finish setup.

Much easier to fire up the IPMI iKVM viewer and mount the ISO there.

 

[DrKK]

Much easier to fire up the IPMI iKVM viewer and mount the ISO there.

The man has a point ;)

 

[Ericloewe]

I like that idea Eric. SOmething like this: http://www.microcenter.com/product/278531/51_Port_USB_20_PCI_Adapter

Yeah, that thing looks good.

Other issue I've been thinking about: No USB also tends to mean no UPS. The USB 2.0 card works around that issue, too. Other solutions include serial, if the cable is provided or NUT running on a different system (workstation, other server, router/firewall, raspberry pi).

 

[Raiz]

Much easier to fire up the IPMI iKVM viewer and mount the ISO there.

Pfft, only if you know how to use IPMI on your brand new board. That was NOT me. =P

 

[snicke]

An interesting suggestion someone provided was to add a not-quite-el-cheapo USB 2.0 controller card, which naturally uses EHCI. Not sure you can easily find one of those, though.

Even if FreeNAS only support USB 2.0 I assume that a USB 3.0 PCIe like this: http://www.inet.se/produkt/5406016/...t&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=prisjakt#/specs will work perfectly well to use with X11 Supermicroboard and FreeNAS to get functional USB ports right now? I.e. together with a USB stick as a boot drive.

 

[Ericloewe]

Even if FreeNAS only support USB 2.0 I assume that a USB 3.0 PCIe like this: http://www.inet.se/produkt/5406016/...t&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=prisjakt#/specs will work perfectly well to use with X11 Supermicroboard and FreeNAS to get functional USB ports right now? I.e. together with a USB stick as a boot drive.

I wouldn't count on it. They might only support XHCI.

 

[snicke]

I wouldn't count on it. They might only support XHCI.

So what USB protocol do we want a PCIe USB card to support to make it work with FreeNAS?

 

[Ericloewe]

So what USB protocol do we want a PCIe USB card to support to make it work with FreeNAS?

EHCI

 

[snicke]

EHCI

You're right. Not at all obvious that the card I linked to will work. Hard to find EHCI cards here locally though.

Sent from my Galaxy S6 Edge

 

[bucarr]

(no i219s on X11 boards, they're all dual-i210).

I'm working with an X11SAE mobo and it has one i210 and one i219.

 

[Eric Ekberg]

I like that idea Eric. SOmething like this: http://www.microcenter.com/product/278531/51_Port_USB_20_PCI_Adapter

That looks like a PCI card to me. I took a chance on this one today:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/131695356148?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[Nirshal]

@Eric Ekberg I was about to buy the same adapter... My only concern is that I never heard about this brand "Startech". Also, it seems here in Europe the same adapter is priced 3 times the US cost . Please let us know if it works...

 

[Eric Ekberg]

Got the usb card in today, but having trouble getting the FreeNAS iso to load using the IPMI. Boots just fine, but then fails with error 19 during install. Haven't researched it yet.

 

[Mirfster]

That card has plenty of ports, if you have another USB stick just put the ISO on that (Rufus) and go that route. ;)

 

[Eric Ekberg]

That card has plenty of ports, if you have another USB stick just put the ISO on that (Rufus) and go that route. ;)

Can't seem to get it to boot off the USB card, unfortunately. Haven't given up yet, but it's looking like a bust.

 

[Mirfster]

Can't seem to get it to boot off the USB card, unfortunately. Haven't given up yet, but it's looking like a bust.

Doh!... Well keep on working on getting FreeNas installed. No way you want to let some silly 'puter beat you...

 

[Eric Ekberg]

In hindsight it makes perfect sense. USB cards generally don't have option ROM; so no boot possible. I should have thought it through from the beginning.

Doh!... Well keep on working on getting FreeNas installed. No way you want to let some silly 'puter beat you...

 

[Ericloewe]

In hindsight it makes perfect sense. USB cards generally don't have option ROM; so no boot possible. I should have thought it through from the beginning.

The BIOS should be smart enough to handle PCI EHCI controllers, though, so it is a disappointment.

 

[Nathan Belanger]

Much easier to fire up the IPMI iKVM viewer and mount the ISO there.

I'm thinking of using the same motherboard and have a question. Couldn't you get around this problem by
1) Using the 2xSuperDOM ports with built in power and these ? --> http://www.memorydepot.com/ssd/listcat.html?catid=SATADOM-MV-3ME&prodid=DESMV-32GD06SC1QC
2) Mount the .iso through IPMI and boot that way, then install to the 2xSuperDOM

Wouldn't that alleviate all the issues with bootable USB devices?

Any reason not to spend the extra $10 and get the motherboard with 4x 1Gb NIC's --> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813182996

 

[Ericloewe]

2) Mount the .iso through IPMI and boot that way, then install to the 2xSuperDOM

Wouldn't that alleviate all the issues with bootable USB devices?

That's the problem (apparently). The virtual CD drive is a USB device hanging off the PCH.

I had to resort to installing on a different system and moving the OS drive back. I do plan to investigate a bit better, but things aren't looking very good at the moment.