Unable to decrypt disk on fresh install with zfs root
reddit / freebsd

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kvothethecat · 2020-08-22 19:20

For the past few days I've been trying to install FreeBSD 12.1 on a
new machine with the intention of running a Nextcloud server. I've
been installing to three 4TB drives with raidz and full disk
encryption using `bsdinstall`.

Everything goes smoothly with the installation, but when I reboot and
reach the GELI prompt, my password is rejected with the phrase `Bad
GELI key: bad password?`. This occurs on subsequent reboots as well.

I've made multiple attempts at installing FreeBSD, and the system
works fine when I don't use full disk encryption. Does anybody know
why my password is being rejected? Are there some tweaks I should do
in the shell before booting the new system?

**Edit:**
By typing in the password nine times, the system prints `gptzfsboot:
No ZFS pools located, can't boot` when there are no bootable media
inserted. I also tried this with my installation USB inserted and it
just booted the installer.

Any help is appreciated.

**Edit 2:**
I use an IBM Spacesaver keyboard and NumLock was turned on by default,
so I wasn't typing the password I thought I was typing. I feel like an
idiot. The message in the first edit with likely caused by the fact
that the drives in the zpool hadn't been decrypted.

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xXR01I1Xx · 2020-08-22 23:28

AFAIK the password prompt uses the US keyboard layout, if you don't
use it try to type your password with this layout.

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kvothethecat · 2020-08-22 23:45

I'm using the US keyboard layout.

I accidentally discovered that if I input my password 9 times
(presumably once for each of the partitions on each of the drives),
the system prints `gptzfsboot: No ZFS pools located, can't boot` when
there are no bootable media inserted. I also tried this with my
installation USB inserted and it just booted the installer.