Installing and booting on USB stick

[FlyingPersian]

Hi
I installed the embedded version of NAS4Free on a USB stick. But for some reason the config.xml can't be found and thus I have to reboot. Why is that? I wrote the img file on one USB stick, booted it and installed the OS on the 2nd USB stick. Now all the information should be there, shouldn't it? Why can't I boot?

[armandh]

if you used the #9 option to install the OS on the second USB stick after shutting down you must remove the first usb stick to boot from the second
[this is often determined by the way the usb ports are polled] the first is the live ver of embedded the second is the boot-able embedded [it can store the config]
the live ver [CD or USB] can store config in another dos formatted device it is only about 20 Kb. I once used an 8 Mb camera flash card in a usb adapter.

[FlyingPersian]

I did so. I rebooted and when it was turned off I pulled out the 1st USB. Now I keep getting this error over and over again upon loading the OS. After I choose "normal mode", "secure mode" or whatever.

Edit: Okay for some random reason it did work once, but after the reboot I get the error again -.- Any ideas?

[armandh]

that first group of choices,,,just let it time out

try different usb sticks try different sockets use USB sticks under 2Gb formatted dos
some bios do not boot from all the usb ports, do not recognize large USB volumes
some USB sticks get around this by loading a driver [fine for an OS but NG to boot an OS]

none of my NAS boot from USB even when the hardware will do so
I run into the same level of flakiness
try loading from a CD to a Hdd and booting from that Hdd
or
see if you can run live cd with a usb stick [to save the configuration]

[rbscycle]

I am unable to create an embedded usb, that will boot. I spend the day trying various usb devices of different sizes and makes. I've tried creating them from Linux (Ubuntu 13.10) and Windows XP, SP3 with Win32diskImager. None of the created usb's will boot. Win32diskImager is pretty straight forward: select the usb the image is going on, select the image, select write. On Linux I used: sudo dd if=NAS4Free-x64-embedded-9.2.0.1.943 of=/dev/sdb <ENTER>. I also tried sudo dd if=NAS4Free-x64-embedded-9.2.0.1.943 of=/dev/sdb1 <ENTER>. It reports that 116mb transferred. I do have a NAS4Free Acer EasyStore running properly, but wanted to create another one for a friend. Can't remember how I did this one! (Age 67, memory failing). Maby I used a Live Cd first!?

[armandh]

I have always started with the live cd and using option #9, from the final menu, created the embedded OS on the boot device.
I have always tried to use a boot device like that which the hardware originally used. I prefer IDE PATA or SATA devices.
small Hdd from the win 95 era, to modern industrial SATA flash. http://www.logicsupply.com/components/s ... h-modules/
live CD [embedded] with a floppy or usb stick for the config worked too
my initial experience with FreeNAS-7 was with older hardware that did not boot USB.
my early experiences with USB booting were not happy ones.

when it works it works well
here are some of the USB boot problems
bios will NOT boot from usb [period]
bios will only boot from the first polled USB port.
bios will not boot from a larger capacity 32 bit FAT file system.
bios wont boot from USB sticks 2Gb and larger.

the worst of the hardware lot seem to have early OEM bios.
not a place where the hardware OEM spent much money.

[fuchls]

Flyingpersian, i ran into the same problem..
made it to work by going down to 9.1.0.1
somehow 9.2.0.1 doesnt like my b85 chipset (i think)
refer here on how i replicated my problem
viewtopic.php?f=78&t=6247
and post your hardware specs

[STAMSTER]

It is not an USB drive issue. It is an FreeBSD 9.2. issue.

Take a look: viewtopic.php?f=78&t=6247&p=36200#p36200

[Black6spdZ]

only problem I have is that the default "normal" boot does NOT boot with ACPI enabled, which is needed to access the USB boot volume during boot process.. how in the HE!! can you force option 2 in the boot menu? "Boot with ACPI enabled" then the system works perfect. Surely this whole problem with USB and 9.2.x.x is an oversight in the boot menu and ACPI detection

[Black6spdZ]

update: disabling xHCI in the BIOS solved my issue