Bug #3982
closed
Installer generates errors when selecting "Embedded" but still appears to work
Added by Jim Pingle about 10 years ago.
Updated about 10 years ago.
Description
When running the installer and choosing "Embedded" two errors are given by the GUI but if "skip" is chosen the install proceeds and appears to work afterward.
Flow executing -> main/install/install_kernel (Install Kernel)
[Tue Nov 4 13:52:51 2014]
,-<<< Executing `tar xzpf /kernels/kernel_*wrap*.gz -C /mnt/boot/'
| tar: Error opening archive: Failed to open
'/kernels/kernel_*wrap*.gz'
`->>> Exit status: 1
[Tue Nov 4 13:53:47 2014]
,-<<< Executing `test -f /etc/ttys_wrap && cp /etc/ttys_wrap
/mnt/etc/ttys'
`->>> Exit status: 1
The ttys_wrap file and the wrap kernel no longer exist on 2.2. The correct console settings are active in loader.conf and the serial console does work after installation. The installer code to run those two obsolete commands should be cleaned up.
Marking as RC blocking since it's a common case and ugly but ultimately should be easy to fix so users don't get scared away before it even installs.
- Status changed from New to Confirmed
An additional note after talking to Renato earlier and doing some research:
The serial console worked for me because I used the serial memstick to install. The serial memstick's default config has "<enableserial/>" injected by the builder when it is created.
If someone restores a config without enableserial, it would lose access to its console, so the choice here should setup the target disk in some way to retain the serial setting by some variation of using enableserial_force.
The issue here is that the amd64 builds do not have anymore the wrap kernels.
Only i386 has this type of kernel.
This is quite visible on the generate config logs from the builders.
From i386 snapshot builder:
Fri Nov 7 00:12:15 CST 2014 |- BUILD_KERNELS: pfSense_SMP.10
Fri Nov 7 00:12:15 CST 2014 -| BUILD_KERNELS: pfSense_wrap.10.i386
Fri Nov 7 00:12:15 CST 2014 -|- BUILD_KERNELS: pfSense_wrap_vga.10.i386
From amd64 snapshot builders:
Fri Nov 7 00:15:45 CST 2014 -|- BUILD_KERNELS: pfSense_SMP.10
The real fix is just to skip the kernel selection menu for amd64 and just deploy the generic kernel(and the only availble) from /kernels.
Not sure if this check should be done on the installer or have a separate installer config for amd64 and i386!
Even with only one kernel a choice must still be made about the console, so changing this screen into a console selection rather than kernel selection is probably better. Otherwise people will very easily lose access to their system consoles on hardware without a VGA port.
Isn;t memstick just a loader.conf option kernel rather than else on amd64?
- Status changed from Confirmed to Feedback
- Assignee set to Ermal Luçi
Solution put in place for having this working on 2.2 and 64bit installer.
ttys_wrap file was removed on 2.2, but is still necessary o 2.1. Would be better if installer guess pfSense version based on FreeBSD version.
I have corrected this on new snapshots.
- Status changed from Feedback to Resolved
The error is fixed but the console problem I mentioned above is still an issue. I moved it to #4009
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Updated by Ermal Luçi 
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