I can't see USB drive in the setup.

[guillaumesoucy]

Hi,

I have a dedicaded server with OVH Canada and they offer an option for a USB drive can be plugged to the server for OS installation. I successfully install FreeNAS to an HDD but now I want to install it to the USB drive fro save an HDD. I start the installation of FreeNAS but unfortunalty I saw only the HDDs, not the USB drive.

I need help please.

Guillaume

 

[Ericloewe]

You need a second USB drive to which FreeNAS will be installed. It sounds like you're only using one.

 

[joeschmuck]

Your problem sounds like a BIOS configuration issue if you cannot see the USB Flash Drive. Ensure the BIOS can see it.

Also you can remove the hard drive as well if that makes it easier since you don't need it to perform the initial installation. Of course you need to have hard drives for your data storage but those can be added later after the USB drive is built up.

 

[guillaumesoucy]

Hi,

@Ericloewe; I try to install FreeNAS via the KVM, so I mount the .iso of FreeNAS into the virtual storage function of the KVM client.

@joeschmuck; The Bios can see it, its just the FreeNAS setup who cannot see it.



Do you have more idea for help me to diagnose te issue?

Thanks !

Guillaume

 

[joeschmuck]

During the installation process it asks you to select a drive to install the software on... Do you have anything listed, and if yes and it's not your USB drive, have you tried to scroll down to see if other drives are present?

One thing I don't like about the new installer is it only shows devices one at a time vice a group of devices. The installer needs to be fixed in my opinion but it does work if you know to scroll down.

 

[guillaumesoucy]

Hi,

For scroll down the devices list, I need to press the down arrow key, right?

 

[joeschmuck]

Hi,

For scroll down the devices list, I need to press the down arrow key, right?

Yes, or at least that worked for me.

 

[guillaumesoucy]

If I do this, I cannot see the USB drive.

 

[guillaumesoucy]

I take a screenshot of the KVM screen. I can see only 3 drives even if I press the down arrow key.

 

[joeschmuck]

Sorry, the up/down arrow key thing was for the 9.3 installation.

I would say the issue is still in the BIOS and you need to tell it to treat the USB as a hard drive. Also, ensure you are not plugged into a USB 3.0 connection (blue connector) as this can cause issues as well.

 

[guillaumesoucy]

The USB drive is connected to a USB 3.0 port of the server, I will check with OVH Canada if they can plug it into a USB 2.0 port.

Thanks!

 

[joeschmuck]

That might not be "the fix" but it could be a problem. Also as I mentioned, ensure the USB device in the BIOS settings is treated as a hard drive. In the BIOS Boot Priority you should be able to see the USB drive as the first device.

 

[guillaumesoucy]

Hi,

It work!

I ask OVH Canada to put the USB drive into an USB 2.0 port instead a USB 3.0 port and that solve the issue!

Thanks you so much for the hint!

 

[joeschmuck]

No problems. In reality you would barely notice the difference between the 2.0 and 3.0 connection, if at all.

 

[guillaumesoucy]

I have another issue, the FreeNAS installation on the HDD enter in conflict with the new FreeNAS installation on the USB drive, the server boot from the HDD #3 even if in the Bios the boot device is the USB drive.

If I press F2 I got what you can see in the screenshot.



Need more help please.

 

[joeschmuck]

During the power on sequence of the computer, many systems will let you hit F12 (in my case) to pull up a list of devices to boot from. Not sure if this is an option for you. Also, even if you get that done you will still need to change the boot order in the BIOS or you will likely see a message stating you cannot boot from the data drive.

EDIT: One other option if you cannot get this to work... Bring someone else into the picture that could remote into the server and make it work. I'd of course change my password and stuff to something temporary and use that. I'd offer but I'm leaving on work travel today and will be gone for the week. I'll still check the forums but I won't have time to assist in that capacity, not this week if it's something that might help you out.

 

[rhdd]

https://bugs.freenas.org/issues/7286

 

[Eniac74]

OK. I have a similar problem - I have only two USB 2.0 ports, but four USB 3.0 ports (Supermicro A1SRi-2758F motherboard). As I need to have the keyboard in one USB2 port (works in a USB3 port as long as I am moving in BIOS, but not in FNAS) that leaves only one free USB2 port. However, I need one for the FreeNAS 9.3 image (iso) to begin the installation, but also one for the USB stick to which I want to make the installation. I am guessing I cannot swap those during installation?

I have tried disabling the support for USB3 in the BIOS in a hope that this would treat the USB3 ports as USB2 instead, but that did not change anything. Is the solution to buy a USB2 splitter/hub (or buy an SSD) or is there a workaround in any way with what is mentioned in post #17 above, e.g. to add xhci_load=YES in the GRUB to enable the USB3 ports from the beginning?

 

[hugovsky]

I think you'll have an option called "Port 60/64 Emulation" in BIOS. Check that it's enabled. That will give you usb keyboard past POST.

 

[Eniac74]

Thanks for the suggestion, but this was already enabled in BIOS it turns out, so the keyboard still only seems to work in USB2 (for FNAS), which cements my problem. My settings in BIOS:

Legacy USB Support <Enabled>
USB3.0 Support <Enabled>
XHCI Hand-off <Enabled>
EHCI Hand-off <Disabled>
USB Mass Storage Driver Support <Enabled>
Port 60/64 Emulation <Enabled>

Any combo of choices that will make the keyboard work in the USB3 port during FNAS setup?