USB bugs, 3 different computers, 3 different USB keys. Fails

[CMDRSweeper]

I am now pulling my hair out and cursing the developers of Nas4Free, after having gotten out of 12 attempts all the same unreadable, unusable images on the USB keys I tried.
Some bricking to 28Mb size, others showing proper sizing (Ubuntu) but falling flat on their asses when it comes to being read after the procedure.
Since the USB sticks / keys work fine with other images (Ubuntu, Windows etc) it leaves your software as the possible culprit.

What I tried was A, VMWare tied USB install (VM running the install off an ISO to the USB), Windows 7 to USB with images, and Ubuntu to USB using DD.
Except for the Ubuntu, the two other methods yielded a USB stick with 28Mb total filesize with Windows babbling about a format, Linux refusing to mount it, and VMWare skipping it as a valid boot device.

So now I had to bite the bullet and installed an IDE CD-ROM in the server and an Intel SSD I had lying around for a different project.

I suggest that you double check the way you make your USB setup, because all the signs point to there being something not right in there somewhere.
The machines I tried used both AMD and Intel of various generations as well.

[raulfg3]

What I tried was A, VMWare tied USB install (VM running the install off an ISO to the USB), Windows 7 to USB with images, and Ubuntu to USB using DD.
Except for the Ubuntu, the two other methods yielded a USB stick with 28Mb total filesize with Windows babbling about a format, Linux refusing to mount it, and VMWare skipping it as a valid boot device.

Please, try to use a N4F downloaded ISO image in your PC (x64 or x86 according to your NAS Spec), Burn it, and boot on your PC from this N4F CD-ROM ( Your Win or linux desktop PC, not your NAS server), once a suscesfull boot, you see a install menu.

atach at this moment your USB Key.

Once detected and mounted, use option 9 on install menu, install full or embeded in your USB KEY, use menu to properly shutdown your Desktop PC, once shutdown, unplug USB key, and use it to boot your NAS server.

Must Work.

PD: For security, you can detach/disconect all your Desktop PC HD's except CD-ROM, but I use this method and do not have problems if read carefully sugested Disk for destination of N4F image.

[armandh]

Please, try to use a N4F downloaded ISO image in your PC (x64 or x86 according to your NAS Spec), Burn it, and boot on your PC from this N4F CD-ROM ( Your Win or linux desktop PC, not your NAS server), once a suscesfull boot, you see a install menu.

attach at this moment your USB Key.

Once detected and mounted, use option 9 on install menu, install full or embedded in your USB KEY, use menu to properly shutdown your Desktop PC, once shutdown, unplug USB key, and use it to boot your NAS server.

PD: For security, you can detach/disconnect all your Desktop PC HD's except CD-ROM, but I use this method and do not have problems if read carefully sugested Disk for destination of N4F image.

+1 This is the ONLY way I install N4F
I have found this way to be 100% reliable if the hardware is good.
by good I specify [for USB] a less than 2Gb active boot-able partition formatted with a clean FAT file system only
sadly some usb sticks come with all kinds of hidden drivers, even cloud software.
this boot preventing "helpful" stuff needs to be wiped first.

small Hdd or IDE PATTA/SATA flash devices, the CD does them all.
CAVEAT
if you are not going to disconnect your C:\ drive during this process
be absolutely sure to select the correct drive for the installation.
it will wipe the c:\ drive if it is selected in error.

PS the reason for the "helpful" software is USB's lack of compatibility around large file systems
the remainder of the usb stick bricked to a small volume is likely a large file system
driven by what use to be in the small fat portion.
a partition editor [partition magic etc] should be able to wipe and format the USB flash
here too, be careful to wipe and partition the correct drive.

I still find the easiest way to load N4F to the boot medium is to temporarily connect an optical drive to the intended NAS

[CMDRSweeper]

I do have a NAS4Free DVD that I burned with my Ubuntu machine based off the LiveCD, I'll try to install to the USB first, but I am not keeping my hopes up for that due to my previous attempts.
But failing that I guess the 80Gb SSD will have a life in there

[Lee Sharp]

I am active in development for m0n0wall, somewhat active in pfSense, and now starting to be active here. And install has always been a problem due to *BSD using ufs and not fat32 or ext*.

That said, booting properly off the LiveCD addresses several problems, and is the best way to install. For one, it confirms the hardware before install. You know that drives and nics are actually detected, and that the system is stable enough to boot. It shows that the USB card is seen and can be found. And it gives a platform for basic troubleshooting.

Also, one of the most common problems is people installing to VMware/Xen/whatever... Having your first install being on a vm with hardware passthrough and additional complexities is NOT the way to learn. (Real fun on a firewall when the person is also learning advanced networking on a VMware vnet...)

So in this, I advise you to step back, slow down, and simplify your initial environment. It does work. And with some learning, it will work for you too.

PS: Your USB sticks are probably not bricked. Look at them in Linux with gparted.

[armandh]

I do have a NAS4Free DVD that I burned with my Ubuntu machine based off the LiveCD, I'll try to install to the USB first, but I am not keeping my hopes up for that due to my previous attempts.
But failing that I guess the 80Gb SSD will have a life in there

NO need to waste an 80 Gb drive on a 200 Mb file
I use these in all 3 active N4F [one PATA and two SATA]
http://www.logicsupply.com/categories/f ... sh_modules
I have never had a boot failure from these used as the embedded OS storage

my cold stand by uses a 2.1 Gb 44 pin PATA Hdd salvaged from an old DDS-32 printer to store the N4F embedded OS.
another uses an old 3.5 " 1.7 Gb Fujitsu Hdd. another that my daughter uses is 8Gb. all are left overs from the win 98 era.
they are set to spin down in 5 minutes. [after the load of OS to RAM] it spins up for config changes, and down in 5 min after.

Most any old Hdd will work.

[CMDRSweeper]

Well I went with the SSD route, the USB stick route just gave me errors upon boot and halted, installing to the SSD did work and since that is the only drive I got lying around that is small (Got other SATA drives with a 500Gb and 1Tb Green drive as other options)
So it does seem like the USB is a bit flimsy, regardless my VMWare testing was what brought me to chose Nas4free over FreeNAS, FreeNAS was just too much hit and miss for Active Directory integration on Samba 4.
Now that it is installed, the next step is setting up the RAIDZ and joining the domain.

[armandh]

setting up a ZFS "raid" is easy and quick

drive drop down format the storage drives ZFS
under drives>ZFS set the V-dev by selecting drives and type
under drives>ZFS set the pool by selecting the V-dev

reboot may be necessary and the pool should show on the main page bottom

as a single user I use the whole pool as a mapped network drive with shares
your needs may be different

[CMDRSweeper]

Yeah I got it kicking, in my previous tests in VMWare I had gotten it up and running, although I have an Active Directory setup, it is in a home environment, but I want to administer groups and FTP users easily using AD.
And thanks to Samba4, you can legally have a production Active Directory setup that doesn't have a trial period where you have to shell out big money to Microsoft.

[new-at-nas]

I am now pulling my hair out and cursing the developers of Nas4Free, after having gotten out of 12 attempts all the same unreadable, unusable images on the USB keys I tried.
Some bricking to 28Mb size, others showing proper sizing (Ubuntu) but falling flat on their asses when it comes to being read after the procedure.

I had similar problems trying to get an embedded install booted from a USB stick
(see viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3766).

I also saw a much-too-small partition on the stick afterwards, and similarly it couldn't be mounted afterwards because of a "recursive partition table".

I agree that under some circumstances or on some machines, the N4F installer seems to get the partitioning wrong when installing to embedded.

After doing a full install on the same stick, the machine boots just fine. I still need to try upgrading that to embedded (now that the stick is partitioned OK).

I hope you've overcome your initial frustration: I still think it's very useful software.