SOLVED Server won't boot from ssd on an adapter card

[Hexanilix]

Hey guys,
so I'm having this weird issue where my server hardware doesn't recognize my PCIe to m.2 ssd, it flags it as "Other storage device", but when I use the TrueNAS installer it does see it. This is also the other way around where TrueNAS won't pick up physical drives and I have to make them logical drives by using a raid. I don't mind making logical drives but the SSD is a problem. Is this some common issue?

 

[Whattteva]

In order for your system to be able to boot from an add-on card, OPROM needs to be enabled in the BIOS and hopefully the card firmware also supports it.

 

[Hexanilix]

That's my problem.

In order for your system to be able to boot from an add-on card, OPROM needs to be enabled in the BIOS and hopefully the card firmware also supports it.

That's the problem. I don't exactly understand what 'enabling OPROM' means, but if you meant turning on/selecting the ssd from the OPROM settings then I cant, it's not there.

 

[Etorix]

You have not described your hardware (see: Forum Rules). It it, by any chance, an old DDR3-era system which may not have BIOS support for booting from NVMe?

 

[Hexanilix]

You have not described your hardware (see: Forum Rules). It it, by any chance, an old DDR3-era system which may not have BIOS support for booting from NVMe?

Maybe, it is a ddr3 machine although it's a 2019 model so it's not that old, but that still leaves the question of why it won't show up as a disk but only as a PCIe mass storage device and why TrueNAS without a problem installed on it

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Frequently booting from NVMe requires UEFI boot instead of legacy.

 

[Whattteva]

That's the problem. I don't exactly understand what 'enabling OPROM' means, but if you meant turning on/selecting the ssd from the OPROM settings then I cant, it's not there.

OPROM is essentially almost like a mini second BIOS that will execute after your motherboard BIOS to boot the drives you have connected to that card. Without it, you won't be able to boot from the drives connected to the card. You can easily tell if the card does this because you will see an extra "BIOS-style" boot screen after your motherboard BIOS where it will show all the drives connected to the card.

 

[Hexanilix]

Frequently booting from NVMe requires UEFI boot instead of legacy.

Yea, that makes sense. So a way around it I saw is to use Clover. Is that alright semi-long run?

 

[Hexanilix]

OPROM is essentially almost like a mini second BIOS that will execute after your motherboard BIOS to boot the drives you have connected to that card. Without it, you won't be able to boot from the drives connected to the card. You can easily tell if the card does this because you will see an extra "BIOS-style" boot screen after your motherboard BIOS where it will show all the drives connected to the card.

Sorry, my wording was a bit confusing. I meant that my SSD isn't showing inside the configurator

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Yea, that makes sense. So a way around it I saw is to use Clover. Is that alright semi-long run?

What's Clover? I intended to suggest activating UEFI boot on your BIOS and installing TrueNAS with UEFI ...

 

[Whattteva]

Yea, that makes sense. So a way around it I saw is to use Clover. Is that alright semi-long run?

Personally, I prefer reFind over Clover, but you can do UEFI directly from your BIOS without the need for any third party software.

 

[Etorix]

Clover is a bootloader which is popular to boot macOS on regular Intel/AMD hardware.
If the (still unspecified) DDR3 hardware does not support UEFI booting from PCIe devices, it won't help.

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

but you can do UEFI directly from your BIOS without the need for any third party software

Correct. If the system can boot rEFInd it can also boot TrueNAS installed with UEFI boot.

 

[Hexanilix]

Personally, I prefer reFind over Clover, but you can do UEFI directly from your BIOS without the need for any third party software.

Yea that would be amazing, issue where do I do that? I only see how to access my ROM-BSU and iLO

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Standard Boot Order or Boot Controller Order might have an option to pick BIOS/Legacy or UEFI.

 

[Hexanilix]

Standard Boot Order or Boot Controller Order might have an option to pick BIOS/Legacy or UEFI.

Nope. I feel like I've been through the whole ROM and nothing

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

Google your server model and "UEFI boot support" ... maybe?

BIOS update?

Have you just tried installing TrueNAS with UEFI already? You just pick the boot method when you run the installer.

 

[Hexanilix]

Google your server model and "UEFI boot support" ... maybe?

"There is no UEFI mode on this server model. UEFI started with Gen9 on Proliant."

That's that. So that just leaves me with reFind?

 

[Patrick M. Hausen]

NO - rEFInd is an EFI boot loader. If you cannot boot UEFI neither rEFInd nor Clover will have any use for you.

You need a different boot medium connected to SATA or USB.

 

[Hexanilix]

Ok, that's that. Now I have a new question:

Would a PCIe to SAS adapter work here (not for boot)?