XigmaNAS

Hello everyone!

I got my new HP MicroServer N54L today, and am trying to install NAS4Free on a USB thumb drive but I just can't get it to work. I have two Kingston DataTraveler 100 G2 USB 2.0 sticks, one 4GB and one 8GB. I've tried downloading the NAS4Free-x64-LiveUSB-9.2.0.1.972.img file three times now to be sure it's not corrupt or anything.

I use Win32DiskImager to "burn" the img-file to one of the USB sticks. Then I boot from it and everything seems ok, I get to the menu with options 1-9, 9 being installing from the USB stick. Above the menu it says I can insert the USB-stick I want to install NAS4Free to. When I do I'm presented with this. Being a total newbie to FreeBSD I have no idea what all that means, but it can't be good.

Then I press Enter to get back to the menu aagain. I even tried my luck choosing option 9 after this and then option 1 for installing NAS4Free on the other stick that I just inserted, but then I'm presented with this.

I also tried downloading the x64 embedded install (NAS4Free-x64-embedded-9.2.0.1.972.img), extracting it, renaming the extracted file with .img extension (as per guides I've read) and then "burn" that to one of the USB-sticks with Win32DiskImager. It boots up nicely for a start, but then I see a pattern emerging.

So I really have no idea what I can do to fix this, so any help would be greatly appreciated. The USB thumb sticks seem to be in working order, because I can boot the LiveUSB version with both them, and get to the meny with options 1-9.

Other things I've tried so far without luck:

- Change the SATA mode to IDE from AHCI in BIOS
- Booted with both thumb drives inserted at the same time and choose the right one to boot from in BIOS
- Wiped both thumb drives with Active@ KillDisk 9.0 software
- Trying to switch places with the USB-drives, so that I wipe the 4GB one and "burn" the LiveUSB image to the 8GB one, and vice versa.
- Tried different USB ports; the one inside the MicroServer, as well as the ones on the front and back

I don't have a CD/DVD drive to try with, and these two thumb drives are the only ones I have. Also, should be mentioned that I have no SATA HDDs installed in the MicroServer at the moment.

I have installed and played around with NAS4Free on VirtualBox on my main rig, so I sort of know how the installation should go.

I tried to cover everything as good as possible, but if I missed anything or if you need any additional information, please ask.

Hi Solkku!

Have you tried doing like this guide?

viewtopic.php?f=55&t=2106

I tried that now, but it didn't seem to make any difference. Still getting the same error.

What I now have done since starting the thread is:

- Check that I can access the NAS4Free webgui from default IP at 192.168.1.250, which I can. But of course this is a LiveUSB, so any changes made will be forgotten at reboot and who wants that?
- I made a bootable MemTest USB-stick and checked the ECC memory. No errors.
- Tried an older version of N4F: NAS4Free-x64-LiveUSB-9.2.0.1.943.img

Does the "blank USB stick" have to be preformatted to a specific filesystem for it to work? It shouldn't make a difference if it wipes everything anyway right?

Edit: Here's the error log from the N4F webgui when I insert the blank USB stick:

try a different usb stick

I only have these two sticks, sadly they are both same model but different size. I have tried them both with no luck, first 4GB for boot and 8GB for installing on. It didn't work so I switched around to 8GB boot and 4GB installing on. That didn't work either.

Could it just be that this stick isn't compatible with N4F? I still think it's funny that it boots up from the LiveUSB image on it, and I can even access the webgui at 192.168.1.250 after that.

Can a USB 3.0 stick be used? My local store seems to have no USB 2.0 sticks under 16GB in stock.

a lot of usb sticks use a small "fat" file to do drivers so the OS can use a non standard file system
these do not work for booting until wiped with a disk partition editor, partitioned, and formatted FAT
do NOT use 3.0 hardware


warning RANT

USB just sucks
booting USB sucks to the extreme

great when it works and like fitting square pegs in round holes when it does not
I use these in two
http://www.logicsupply.com/components/s ... h-modules/
one of these in the PCI box below
http://www.logicsupply.com/components/s ... h-modules/
and an old Hdd in a 4th [not listed] that my son uses
it holds the embedded N4F OS and spins down after 5 minutes

I will put a USB stick in a give away box to boot N4F but not keepers
some hardware does not like large file systems
keep in mind the first part of any boot is real mode so lots of hardware restrictions/conditions apply

USB sticks are fine for embedded
I have the same sticks in both my installs for over 2 years. And they are really old (one 512MB and one 1GB)
DOMs are good but are wasting a sata port. And micro server does not have many - plus it has an internal USB header which is great to use...

I got it working now! The fault was indeed the USB sticks. Even though I didn't want to believe it, since I read that quality brands should work and mine are Kingston.

So I went to my local retailer just before closing time and they actually had one of each Transcend JetFlash 370 8GB USB 2.0 and Kingston DataTraveler SE9 8GB USB 2.0, so I bought them both. And luckily I did, because buying just one of them wouldn't have made things work, I needed both of them.

The Transcend is now rocking NAS4Free inside the case and I'm a happy camper. I decided to keep the slim Kingston as my new personal thumb drive.

Thank you everyone for your help, and hopefully someone finds this thread in the future, if they have similar problems.

Why did you need both sticks?
You did a full install? Because you only need one for embedded...
Anyways, glad you are in and running!

I had the LiveUSB.img on one stick and installed it on the other stick. Afaik you can't install N4F on the same stick you are booting from?

YEP
USB
great when it works
PITA when it does not.

glad you are good to go, A-OK
most modern boards boot USB well enough

but I have never had a SATA or PATA IDE connected boot medium fail to boot
nor pulled any of my thinning white hair out over boot issues

solkku wrote:I had the LiveUSB.img on one stick and installed it on the other stick. Afaik you can't install N4F on the same stick you are booting from?

If you use embedded you write the embedded version on the USB and that's all you need. It boots from there and saves the configuration there.
For a full install you need two sticks.
Keep in mind that embedded is the best option.