Not enough USB2.0 ports to install FreeNAS

[cyberjock]

I used the USB3 port with 9.2 all the time (even on UI update to 9.3). Grub (and the need to set a loader variable on fresh installation) is new with 9.3.

You missed my point. But okay, keep telling yourself that. USB3 speeds NEVER worked with FreeNAS properly. They were disabled by default in 9.2. 9.3 has brought alot to the table, along with some newer USB drivers. Note that those may or may not have broken your ability to boot from USB3 without adding the variable, but you are linking the loader variable to 9.3 and that is 100% incorrect from a technical standpoint.

You might be able to argue that you are forced to use the loader variable on 9.3, on your hardware, where you didn't have to with 9.2. I won't argue that. But claiming the loader variable is "new" is totally incorrect. If you read my link from the 9.2 manual you'd know you are in error. ;)

In fact, if you read https://bugs.freenas.org/issues/3273 you'll find that *I* am the one that is responsible for disabling USB3 by default in FreeNAS.. back in Nov 2013. So yeah, I've been here for the whole thing as I was the one that supported this action, more than a year ago.

Just for the record, I'm not trying to argue "I'm right and you are wrong". I'm trying to correct you so you don't continue to spread this mis-information. Saves me having to explain it to others later and makes you look smarter when you can drop the story of what happened in the future if you so desire to discuss it in the forum.

 

[Apollo]

And just to keep things interesting, USB3 hardware *should* be backwards compatible with USB 2 ports. That's not to say they are bootable or 100% compatible, but the hardware *should* be compatible.

I agree with cyberjock as USB 3.0 is hosting USB2.0 bidirectional and differential pairs of USB 2.0, and USB_ID.
What is added to USB 3.0 is the SupersSpeed link similar to SATA or PCIe.
By default, USB3.0 host is trying to negotiate with USB3.0 device by establish whether SS on the device end are indeed present (looking at the load termination).
If the negotiation isn't successful, then the system will fall back on USB2.0 (fully compliant).
If negotiation is successful, the USB2.0 is disabled I think and everything is passed through SS.

 

[Apollo]

Mount the ISO remotely via IPMI?

That or simply use a spare SATA hard drive and install the ISO file there.

 

[Jailer]

You do have a second network cable attached to the IPMI lan port correct? There is a dedicated RJ45 LAN port that is used just for IPMI that you need to run to your router in addition to your data cable.

 

[Chamrajnagar]

You do have a second network cable attached to the IPMI lan port correct? There is a dedicated RJ45 LAN port that is used just for IPMI that you need to run to your router in addition to your data cable.

Yes, I am using only the IMPI port at the moment. I found what the problem was and edited my previous post - IPMI is only available if you plug into the IPMI port *AFTER* the box has powered on.

 

[Apollo]

Yes, I am using only the IMPI port at the moment. I found what the problem was and edited my previous post - IPMI is only available if you plug into the IPMI port *AFTER* the box has powered on.

Or you can have one of the other LAN to host IPMI link too as failover.

 

[danb35]

IPMI is only available if you plug into the IPMI port *AFTER* the box has powered on.

I'm not sure why you're seeing this behavior, but it's most definitely not how IPMI is supposed to work. How could it be, when one of the functions available via IPMI is the ability to power the system on/off? In any event, glad it's working for you now.

 

[Chamrajnagar]

IPMI is working normally now. I noticed that there were no activity LEDs around the IPMI port, so I unplugged the cable, turned the box on, then plugged the cable in. Now I can leave the cable plugged in and power on the device and it works. Not sure why that would be, but it solved the problem.

Now that I have IPMI up and running, I can launch the Java console. It starts up with the message

PXE-E61: Media test failure, check cable
PXE-M0F: Exiting Intel Boot Agest.

Reboot and Select proper Boot device
or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot device and press a key

I can mount the ISO using the Virtual Media menu, but I get the same message when I reboot. Do I need to reconnect the box to a monitor and change the boot order to boot to the ethernet port?

 

[danb35]

First, you don't need to connect a monitor to be able to change the boot order--you can either (1) press F11 on your keyboard on the virtual console when the system is booting to bring up the boot order menu, or (2) press <DEL> to enter the BIOS setup and make whatever changes you want. You should never need to connect a monitor to that system again. Second, once you selected the ISO in the Virtual Media menu, did you click the Plug In button?

 

[Ericloewe]

IPMI is working normally now. I noticed that there were no activity LEDs around the IPMI port, so I unplugged the cable, turned the box on, then plugged the cable in. Now I can leave the cable plugged in and power on the device and it works. Not sure why that would be, but it solved the problem.

Now that I have IPMI up and running, I can launch the Java console. It starts up with the message



I can mount the ISO using the Virtual Media menu, but I get the same message when I reboot. Do I need to reconnect the box to a monitor and change the boot order to boot to the ethernet port?

You can access the setup menu through IPMI.

 

[Chamrajnagar]

That's very useful! So I was able to change the boot priority to boot first to the network device, however I'm still getting the media test failure. I must be missing a step somewhere. I've also tried F12 to enter network boot, same error.

 

[danb35]

When you use the IPMI virtual media, your motherboard doesn't believe it's booting over the network, it believes it's booting to a local CD/DVD drive. The boot device would look something like "IPMI Virtual CD." Your "media test failure" messages sound like they're dealing with PXE network booting. I'm pretty sure they aren't your problem.

There are plenty of other, non-IPMI options to get your system set up, but you definitely want to learn to use IPMI for your system--if not now, then soon.

 

[Chamrajnagar]

Hmmm, I'm not seeing any virtual devices in the list of boot options. Do I need to add a new boot option? I figure I'll stick with IPMI for now and see if I can get it to work. Like you say it will be useful in the future.

 

[Jailer]

Chamrajnagar are you loading your image in the java console window or the web gui window? You need to mount the image file in the java window.

 

[Chamrajnagar]

If it helps, this is what I'm seeing

https://www.dropbox.com/s/saw8pxaz0zve76u/Capture.PNG?dl=0

This is after mounting the ISO and rebooting the FreeNAS box.

 

[pirateghost]

If it helps, this is what I'm seeing

https://www.dropbox.com/s/saw8pxaz0zve76u/Capture.PNG?dl=0

This is after mounting the ISO and rebooting the FreeNAS box.

You shouldn't need to change anything in BIOS. Every motherboard gives you an option to select a boot device when it is powering up. It's a specific key you select

 

[Chamrajnagar]

You're right that it is an option, but it displays the same list of boot devices as in the BIOS.

Here is the list I get using F11 to access the boot menu rather than going into the BIOS.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/16976040/Capture2.PNG

 

[Apollo]

Hmmm, I'm not seeing any virtual devices in the list of boot options. Do I need to add a new boot option? I figure I'll stick with IPMI for now and see if I can get it to work. Like you say it will be useful in the future.

Are you using IPMIView or the web interface?
Under IPMIView, run the KVM console and this will bring up a window with the video output or your Supermicro system.
In the such Java iKVM Viewer, there is a tab menu at the top of the screen.
Select "Virtual Media" -> "Virtual Storage"
Under Device 1, select "Logical Drive Type" as ISO file.
Select the "Open image" and scroll through the directories to locate the ISO file. Press OK.
Select "Plug in".

From there you should be able to reboot.
Select "Power Control" tab and select "Software shutdown".
Monitor reboot and at some point you can select the boot option. Press the boot option F11 key I think.
You should get your virtual drive show then.
Proceed as normal.

 

[Chamrajnagar]

Thanks Apollo. I am using the web interface to launch iKVM Viewer. The viewer reports that mounting the image file is a success, as shown in one of the screenshots I posted earlier. The issue I'm having at the moment is getting the virtual media to show up as a boot option. I have been rebooting from the Power Control menu, but when I hit F11 the virtual device I've mounted doesn't show as an option.

 

[Chamrajnagar]

Aha, looks like the virtual device was hiding under "USB Device BBS Priorities" in the BIOS boot menu. It was set as the second priority USB device, and the BIOS must only show the first priority USB device as a boot option. Changing it to the primary device seems to have fixed the problem.

Now that I'm able to boot to the image file, I can get to the GRUB menu, but after I hit enter, it hangs here. I'm puzzled again. edit - solved problem by not hitting enter in GRUB menu and letting timer start the process instead.