Issues installing on a Seabios machine reddit / freebsd ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OsailaBackwards · 2022-03-21 17:34 I've used Coreboot to replace the firmware on my T440p with Seabios, and when I've tried to install FreeBSD it hangs after choosing "Boot Multi user". The error message reads: can't find '/boot/entropy' can't find '/etc/hostid' I've tried using both the release and stable memstick versions of 12.3 and both result in the same error. Does anyone know the cause of this error and what my next step would be in trying to fix the issue? Thanks. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- rykolepl · 2022-03-21 17:41 > can't find '/boot/entropy' > can't find '/etc/hostid' This is not a problem, it happens on every installation media for me. Aside from that, I suspect that output is on serial console, instead of vga console. Try changing that in freebsd bootloader, or, if possible, disable serial port(s) in BIOS Also, try 13.0 to see of it also happens there. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OsailaBackwards · 2022-03-21 17:49 When you get that message for for your installations, does it get stuck on the message or does the progress wheel still spin? For me, the "\\ -> - -> /" spinner is frozen. I'll give 13.0 a try. After installing Seabios, there doesn't seem to be many configuration options, so I might have to reflash the computer, but it's odd since OpenBSD had previously installed as well as other Linux distros. Update: Attempted to use the 13.0 release image, but it even gets stuck on the boot menu and doesn't even get to the screen that let you chose "Boot multi user". ---------------------------------------------------------------------- rykolepl · 2022-03-21 20:19 For me it spins, then boots normally. I should clarify that I don't use seabios, that "can't find ..." message is there on all machines ---------------------------------------------------------------------- grahamperrin · 2022-03-22 00:09 > 13.0 release image, but it even gets stuck on the boot menu … Can you share a photograph? Thanks. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- scratchifoo · 2022-03-22 03:28 Hello, I ran into this issue a couple of days ago when trying to boot an existing FreeBSD 12.2 qemu-kvm vm with a coreboot 4.15, seabios 1.14 ROM I use for other nix VMs (gentoo and debian, both work fine). Now that I see this post, I'm going to investigate a bit further and hope to gather some more info on this to help coreboot and/or freebsd devs resolve this. I also have a Thinkpad T530 laptop with coreboot 4.12 and seabios 1.13 which has been running FreeBSD since 12.0 and is now on 13.0 and never had issues...so, this is something that did work before and stopped working in more recent versions of coreboot. So in qemu-kvm, it fails to boot when using Q35 machine type. My Q35 coreboot rom fails to boot freebsd and throws this error: [https://pas teboard.co/rI6VEE3JP6ji.png](https://pasteboard.co/rI6VEE3JP6ji.png) I'm testing now with a 13.0 bootonly iso. Tried latest coreboot from master with seabios 1.16, same issue, not booting. I recompiled coreboot and changed the machine type from qemu-q35 to qemu-i440fx. And now when I boot qemu-kvm, use machine type i440fx, the vm boots. So this is something specific to Q35/ich9 type chipsets (the T440p is a QM87). I'll keep compiling different versions and variations of coreboot/seabios and see if I can get it booting with qemu-q35. We should probably cross-post this into /r/coreboot to see what the people there think about this... I'll try to get more info in the meantime ---------------------------------------------------------------------- David_W_ · 2022-03-22 04:00 Not sure what the problem would be, but I can confirm FreeBSD "should" work under Seabios. I've been running FreeBSD on a Linode for years now, and watching it boot it uses Seabios as part of the process. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OsailaBackwards · 2022-03-22 22:39 Hi, Thank you for your input. I previously installed coreboot back in July 2021 likely the most up to date version at the time, so the version of coreboot and seabios might be outdated. That said I did experience the same issue with previous attempts to install FreeBSD onto a Seabios laptop so this might be a persistent issue. I can't help but feel that it might have to do with the configuration settings set when building the firmware. I'll put a link to the config file. [config](https://github.com/Osaila/coreboot-config) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- scratchifoo · 2022-03-23 04:03 OK, I've been fiddling with this for a while now and here's what i found so far. The issue is not SeaBIOS, it's coreboot. 4.13 with SeaBIOS 1.16 (latest master) works fine. Coreboot 4.14, with SeaBIOS 1.13 or any version of SeaBIOS for that matter, is broken. The latest Coreboot commit I've tried so far which works is 93df1d9cfaef526bf5a8f18cb619623d9bd82293 from Dec 31st 2020. Commit 9bce1fe7276d2f600f7af2e09952011ef5366ae8 from Feb 26th 2021 is broken. So now I'll try to narrow it down to which commit in the span of jan/feb 2021 broke things. One of the big new features of Coreboot 4.14 is: ACPI GNVS framework. Perhaps this introduced this issue? Mind you i'm testing this all on qemu-q35, so it might not directly relate to T440p...but seems like it might be related, so i'll keep you posted if I find more info Edit: OK, found the commit that breaks it on qemu Q35: [https://githu b.com/coreboot/coreboot/commit/279c3e1e7d888af378e85f51bbfa3bbe667909b 1](https://github.com/coreboot/coreboot/commit/279c3e1e7d888af378e85f5 1bbfa3bbe667909b1) . This commit is Q35 specific though, so I assume it shouldn't impact T440p; unless there is another similar commit specific to 440p? I'll see if i can chat with the coreboot people on IRC tomorrow and see what they suggest...maybe someone can hack up a quick patch :) Will keep you posted ---------------------------------------------------------------------- OsailaBackwards · 2022-03-26 14:53 Thank you for all your hard work! Please do keep me posted