Impossible to install, kernel not loaded

[aminix]

Hi, i'm new and i hope you undestand my poor english.

Problem: I cannot install Freenas because i got a message that tell me that the kernel cannot be loaded.

My system is not new but is actually run OK with Openfiles NAS.

My first step was to install freenas without my Sata Drives using the Freenas ISO burn on CD.
Initially it is starting but a view seconds later it stopped with the error that kernel cannot be load.

My hardware:
MoBo Intel D975XBX2 (don't know if with the latest BIOS... Intel download center is off since november 2019, damn...) Bios version BX97520J.86A.2838.2008.0903.1859
CPU Intel Core 2 2,4Ghz (openfiler report only 1,8Ghz !!!)
DX and VT enabled
What can be the problem?

More system Info from openfiler screenshot.

Flavio
(Italy)

 

[Yorick]

The exact error message you are seeing, with the lines leading up to it, will be helpful.

 

[aminix]

can't load 'kernel' !!!!

 

[Yorick]

Interesting. What's your boot media? If that's USB, it's possible that's your issue. How is it behaving when installing to SSD? I'm assuming MBR boot because "too old for EFI"

 

[aminix]

I use a CD to boot.

 

[Yorick]

I am not convinced that this will work. Try the recommended way - a usb stick as the installer, created with the tools recommended in the manual; and then install to an ssd drive.

Since you are moving from another storage system: Have you planned out your pool / vdev yet? Your vdev choice cannot be changed after the fact without destroying it, some planning ahead of time saves a lot of headache later.

 

[jgreco]

This 2006-era beast maxxes out at 8GB RAM. If you do not actually have 8GB RAM in it, I wouldn't be shocked if it didn't run at all. In particular if it only has 1 or 2, "forget it."

I'm a little puzzled at what it is doing. I haven't looked at FreeNAS and its boot strategy lately, but FreeBSD would normally be loading /boot/defaults/loader.conf followed by /boot/kernel/kernel.

You can use "ls" at the loader prompt to see what's out there.

You can use "load /boot/kernel/kernel" (for example) to load that kernel.

 

[aminix]

My attempt before using CD:
- i flash the ISO file to an USB stick (8GB corsair) with Ubuntu's balenaEtcher;
- on another PC with an Intel MoBo, i7 processor and 8GB ram i try it and can install the Freenas system on another USB stick;
- then i test it by connecting to the WEB interface from my Ubuntu PC, all fine.
- after this test i plug the flashed USB stick (ISO) into my server. Detach all my 7 Raid 5 Hard Drive to avoid data loss during the test.
- As system disk i use a 16GB CF card with IDE2CF card adapter instead of the 2GB CF card i use with Openfiler.

But in this way, and i don't no why, the USB stick didn't boot. Even if selected directly as boot device in the Bios. And if i try to select the boot device by pressing F10 during boot the USB stick isn't available (but available in the Bios)!!! If i don't use F10 and let it boot than the Ubuntu OS on the 16GB CF card will start. Obviously I would have formatted it during the installation of Freenas.
I try then the USB stick again on my i7 system and it work.

After some changing in the Bios without succeed i burn the ISO to a DVD-R (don't have a CD-R). The CD will boot correctly and let me choose between 2 options'. 1 or 2. But both of them without any description. If i select 1 then it will boot but i got the kernel error. With 2 i don't remember exactly but it does'nt boot or hang after some seconds.

 

[aminix]

@Yorick
It is the first time i try Freenas. I trouble with Openfiler more then 10 years ago. After that i never need to modify or reinstall system. Only 1 or 2 Drives fail, but nothing other. I use my Openfiler NAS only to store and work with my video files (i am a videomaker). At the moment i am using a Synology and a Zyxel NAS for other files. But i'm not a NAS/Server expert :-(. In this way i tell you that i don't know what you mean with pool/vdev?
I only know that with pool (seen on my i7 PC) i can set a Raid system. What i need is a simple storage space of my HD's in Raid5.

 

[aminix]

I forget to say that i wish to change system while the Openfiler is now too slow for HD footages. Max 35 MB/s at the moment.

 

[Yorick]

I'll just admit ignorance to the boot issues you're facing. @jgreco is spot-on with his comment about RAM. Beyond that, it's possible FreeBSD simply doesn't "like" your hardware. It wouldn't be that uncommon, FreeBSD is a little picky about supported hardware. The resources section has some good starting points for inexpensive hardware, I like https://www.ixsystems.com/community/resources/specific-build-components-list-up-to-32gb-ram.109/ and https://www.ixsystems.com/community...anges-to-upgrade-as-high-as-512gb-of-ram.110/

Introduction to ZFS may help with the concepts of pools and vdevs. https://www.ixsystems.com/community/resources/introduction-to-zfs.111/

The strength of ZFS is that it is quite good at data integrity. This comes with restrictions, and it's good to learn about those before you commit. One of the restrictions is that ZFS needs direct access to your disks, having a RAID controller in between will mean ZFS can't do its job.

What you call RAID5 ZFS calls "single parity", or raidz1. With seven drives, six remain available for storage. You run a real risk of losing all data if one drive fails, because rebuilding takes a reasonably long time and exercises the drives. This may be acceptable to you, if the array is temporary storage for your videos only. Consider, however, buying an eighth drive, and making this a raidz2, with two parity drives.

You'd expect to be able to fill a gigabit link with a single vdev - raidz1 or raidz2 - easily. Edit: I say easily, and, with those 500GB drives rated at 105 MB/s sustained throughput, let's say they are well matched to a GBit link.
That's roughly 80-100MB/s. Is that sufficient, or do you need more? If so, you'd get into the world of 10Gbit networking, and there'd be a related discussion about how best to structure your storage to get the performance you need.

Edit: I should also add - if the learning curve here is just way too much, then going for a RAID5 or, better, RAID6 controller, on hardware running Windows, will also deliver GBit speeds. It won't have the data protection features of ZFS, but again, that might well be acceptable to you. I've set up a system like that for a buddy, with an inexpensive RAID6 controller, because he barely takes the time to do the basics (he still hasn't set his system to email him on disk failure, what can I say), and dealing with learning how FreeNAS does things would not have been fun to him, at all.

 

[aminix]

Some news... After trying some other NAS Software with similar problems i decide to install the latest version of Openfiler.
The installation is hanging for a while during 'PATA MARVELL DRIVER INSTALLATION'. The Mobo have 8 Sata connectors, 4 with Intel controller and 4 with Marvel controller. After 2 minutes the installation run again and finish. But after reboot the system hangs. I try to play with Bios setting like AHCI, IDE mode and so on but without success. I finally find out that the Marvle controller is damaged. The old Kernel of Openfiler (Red Hat) i use in theese last ten years appear to ignore this problem. Then i try using another 4 port sata150 controller disabling the Marvel one and.... wow, all is fine now. Now i have file transfer rate at 90-100 MB/s.

But... the USB problem is the same. All NAS OS burn on a DVD work fine. Flashing the ISO to an USB stick (Openfiler for example) during boot i got a 'Kernel Panic' error message.

Surely the Mobo have problems.

Bye to all
Flavio