Installation Woes

[peterfarrow]

Ok,

So a few years back I tried FreeNAS 7 and then FreeNAS 8 to see how it checked out.

Back then I had problems with the installer crapping out with MEDIUM SENSE errors on multiple diverse systems, multiple Optical drives, trying servers from ML110 to DL360s all failed and all had problems installing, yet CENTOS, RHEL UBUNTU, Debian, Windows 7,10 all installed no problems on these systems. I have over 20 years of Extensive Linux, BSD and Unix skills.

So, since a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then I thought I would give FreeNAS another go, and guess what, 3 mins into a fresh install on new hardware "MEDIUM SENSE" error, and the installation eventually gets to the text installer but then just hands again someway down the line after creating the partitions on my USB stick.

Now here's the rub, the hardware is 100% OK, because NAS4FREE just sails through without a glitch, and so does Windows 10, and I tried Ubuntu and RHEL7 /CENTOS 7. So it appears to me there is still some fundamental problem with FreeNAS. It just doesn't work. I downloaded twice and did an MD5 check, I tried to created a bootable USB with RUFUS from the ISO (and that craps out too).

So now I know that FreeNAS brags it has 49 developers compared to two on Nas4Free, but it seems like the two guys at Nas4Free are whipping your behinds on compatibility.

Same problem with FreeNAS four years down the line. Its pretty much a mystery how anyone gets this thing installed. Is there some secret hardware club you have to be a member of to get passed the installer, or are there just a handful of hardware configurations that work and I don't have them?

My hardware is fine, the download is good, yet the install is plagued with the same problems you had four years ago, so what gives guys? Perhaps dumping BSD and moving to better Linux choice my kick these persistent compatibility bugbears into touch.

I am deeply disappointed in FreeNAS since the same problems are still here years later.... so does anyone even care this thing is a nightmare to install? Or is it a special handshake required and the ritual slaughtering of lambs that I need to do first?

 

[Ericloewe]

"MEDIUM SENSE" error

That error is so rare that I don't remember seeing it. How, exactly, are you trying to install FreeNAS? Boot devices, ISO copy methods, ...

 

[BigDave]

Welcome to the forums!

I am deeply disappointed in FreeNAS since the same problems are still here years later.... so does anyone even care this thing is a nightmare to install?

There is a step or two that has been introduced since you last attempted a
FreeNAS install and my suggestion is to follow the documentation like you are a complete noob.
I have nothing but respect for your 20 years of experience, but FreeNAS is no longer "old school"
in many regards.

Or is it a special handshake required and the ritual slaughtering of lambs that I need to do first?

It's headless free range chickens actually :D

 

[joeschmuck]

Please list the hardware in detail per the forum rules, and what version of FreeNAS you are installing (please do not say Corral). Are you installing on a bare metal system or a VM? I have never seen your error message before so please output the entire error message in code tags so we can see exactly the error message. I'd like to know what drives this is popping up on, are they optical drives by chance?

Unfortunately your message doesn't include any details to work with. Can't wait for those details as I'm curious what is going on.