FreeNAS deadlocked

[Stux]

I use this drive: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005FYNSZA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It's quite nice that it's so low profile, stashing a couple of them on the back of the box was super easy.

I use quite a few of the 16GB USB3 versions with good luck, and like you say, the USB2 versions come well recommended.

Not sure why you have issues with USB drives.

 

[Wisdom]

I don't know. I'd say it's a crapshoot at best. The IBM 1015 has been the go-to workhorse HBA in these forums for years. It is known to work. Personally, I would not put the SATA controller you listed in my system. I saw a reference in another thread to a SYBA controller that someone got to work. (EDIT https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/cheap-pci-sata-controller.42537/#post-276363) IIRC the price of that model of SYBA controller was $30-40. personally I would rather pay an additional $30 to get the 1015 if it were my system.

That's a very fair point. My worry was that most of the advice on the forum relied on having a Supermicro board, which I do not. I can probably still muddle through it though.

The price wasn't really my concern, it was ease of installation.

 

[jde]

My worry was that most of the advice on the forum relied on having a Supermicro board, which I do not. I can probably still muddle through it though.

I've only done it on an SM board. But I think you can do it on a DOS boot USB setup with Rufus. See:
https://www.servethehome.com/ibm-serveraid-m1015-part-4/

https://rufus.akeo.ie

In Rufus, go to the advanced format options and select "create a bootable disk using MS DOS"