9.10.2-U2 to 9.10.2-U3 Update Failure - System Won't Boot

[RobertL]

Lots of mistakes made here, starting with attempting to apply an update while exhausted and not backing up the configuration first. Prior to this update, had upgraded/updated successfully from 9.1.x up to 9.10.2-U2, usually without issues. 9.10.2-U2 had been running well since release.

Using the GUI to apply the 9.10.2-U3 update, it appeared to hang at about 20% complete. When I attempted to re-apply, a message stated that it was already installed, and to activate it. It took two tries to activate.

Now, system will not complete the boot process, with two errors that I can see on the console. Console does not respond to keyboard input.

First error: "ImportError: Could not import settings 'freenasUI.settings' (Is it on sys.path? Is there an import error in the settings file?): No module named freenasUI.settings"

followed by (where HH:MM:SS represents the current time):

Second error: "May 16 HH:MM:SS Home_Server init: getty repeating too quickly on port /dev/ttyv0, sleeping 30 secs"

...in an endless loop.

At this point, I have been unable to locate the backup file of the server configuration, so I believe my options are:

1. Create a fresh install on one of my two USB flash drives; import the volumes; spend hours attempting to re-configure the system.

2. Follow a multi-step procedure I read elsewhere that alleges to recover the config file from the boot drive. Anyone have success with this?

3. ???

All input appreciated, along with the justified criticism of NOT BACKING UP THE CONFIG FIRST. That won't happen again.

 

[Ericloewe]

You can try to grab the config file from the boot device and hope it's intact. Someone will probably pop up and tell you what the path is.

If that doesn't work, the system dataset probably has a backup. Dunno the exact path, either.

In either case, install to a new boot device to not destroy the current boot device's data.

Edit: You can also try to rollback, just choose an older environment in GRUB and see if it works. If it does, try the update again.

 

[frenzo]

I had this problem and I was able to recover purely by accident after I had given up hope.

Sorry pulling this from memory but this is basically what I did about a week ago.

Downloaded a copy of FreeNAS and loaded it on spare USB flashy drive. I simply was going to reload from scratch and reconfigure everything.

Inserted the spare USB drive and both of my (corrupted?) boot drives and fired up my server and booted from the fresh copy of FreeNAS.

I started the install/upgrade choice. The installer picked up there was a previous version of FreeNAS install and asked if I wanted to create a new boot environment for the new install. I said yes, having nothing to lose. The installer then imported my old config from the old FreeNAS and installed a fresh version of FreeNAS.

After about 20mins it said the upgrade was complete and asked me to reboot. I rebooted, the system came up as normal, it was the new version of FreeNAS and best all, all my configs were intact.

The only thing that didn't work were my iohyve vms. That was due to a missing symbolic link to the location of the vm storage locations.

It's been a week or so and I've found no other issues.

Hope this helps

 

[RobertL]

You can try to grab the config file from the boot device and hope it's intact. Someone will probably pop up and tell you what the path is.

If that doesn't work, the system dataset probably has a backup. Dunno the exact path, either.

In either case, install to a new boot device to not destroy the current boot device's data.

Edit: You can also try to rollback, just choose an older environment in GRUB and see if it works. If it does, try the update again.

Thanks. It is the 'hope that it is intact' part that has me concerned. I will continue searching for info on the path for the file. In the meantime, it looks like Frenzo may have a method I can try.

 

[RobertL]

I had this problem and I was able to recover purely by accident after I had given up hope.

Sorry pulling this from memory but this is basically what I did about a week ago.

Downloaded a copy of FreeNAS and loaded it on spare USB flashy drive. I simply was going to reload from scratch and reconfigure everything.

Inserted the spare USB drive and both of my (corrupted?) boot drives and fired up my server and booted from the fresh copy of FreeNAS.

I started the install/upgrade choice. The installer picked up there was a previous version of FreeNAS install and asked if I wanted to create a new boot environment for the new install. I said yes, having nothing to lose. The installer then imported my old config from the old FreeNAS and installed a fresh version of FreeNAS.

After about 20mins it said the upgrade was complete and asked me to reboot. I rebooted, the system came up as normal, it was the new version of FreeNAS and best all, all my configs were intact.

The only thing that didn't work were my iohyve vms. That was due to a missing symbolic link to the location of the vm storage locations.

It's been a week or so and I've found no other issues.

Hope this helps

If I am understanding this correctly, you had both the USB with the fresh install of FreeNAS (you didn't mention which version....9.10.2-U3?), and also your former boot drive, and booted from the fresh install, after which the system detected your old config and imported it successfully into the new boot environment.

I can try that, and see if it corrects the issue. The boot flash drives are mirrored, so I can retain the spare original boot drive intact.

I will follow up post on results, although it may be a day or two, since I am coping with a plumbing leak IRL that has me opening walls, ceilings and floors. Good times.

 

[frenzo]

My boot drives were mirrored too but I used both my original boot drives and a third usb drive with the FreeNAS installer on it. I intended to just over write my original boot drives with a fresh install. After I booted from the installer and chose the Install/Upgrade option it asks to chose a destination for the install and I chose both my old boot drives. Then it detected an old install and asked if I want to create a new boot environment for the new install. Pretty sure I then got a message stating that it was importing my old config and told me it was successful. It then installed like a new install. I've since upgraded to 11.0-RC and deleted my old boot environments but I think it was 9.10.2-U3.

Sorry, can't help with the plumbing.

 

[RobertL]

My boot drives were mirrored too but I used both my original boot drives and a third usb drive with the FreeNAS installer on it. I intended to just over right my original boot drives with a fresh install. After I booted from the installer and chose the Install/Upgrade option it asks to chose a destination for the install and I chose both my old boot drives. Then it detected an old install and asked if I want to create a new boot environment for the new install. Pretty sure I then got a message stating that it was importing my old config and told me it was successful. It then installed like a new install. I've since upgraded to 11.0-RC and deleted my old boot environments but I think it was 9.10.2-U3.

Sorry, can't help with the plumbing.

Well, as disappointed as I am about the lack of help on the plumbing, your solution for getting FreeNAS back up and running worked absolutely brilliantly.

Also, I really appreciate the intelligence that was put into the installation routine, in that this situation (recovering from a bad install result) was anticipated sufficiently to preserve the config. No substitute for backing up the config first, but still....

Should you change your mind about the plumbing, do let me know. In the meantime, many, many thanks for the help.