New install, can only boot in safe mode

[litlfrog]

Hi folks,

I installed PC-BSD earlier today. Didn't see any problems or receive any error messages during installation. I can get to the boot-up screen and choose the first boot option. Soon, I see the following error:

Manual root filesystem specification
<fstype>:<device> Mount <dev> using filesystem <fstype>

When I list valid disk boot devices, I receive

List of GEOM managed disk devices
fd0

Would I be correct in assuming that fd0 is the floppy drive? If I boot into safe mode, everything seems to load up OK. I just re-ran the boot in verbose mode so I can hopefully look for any information you might need. It's not a dual-boot machine, so we don't have to worry about any other OSes installed.

I've used a bit of Linux, but other than that I'm a complete UNIX noob. I'm in an odd position: this is a work computer that the owner has instructed me to install PC-BSD on because I'm the guy who's got the time available to do so. Thanks for any help.

[TerryP]

The only times I've seen those messages are when /etc/fstab instructs the system to boot off a different drive, then system actually sees.


If you're only getting your floppy drive listed, there is probably a problem somewhere; either in the boot system accessing your hardware, or in the installed systems files.



(Ubuntu 6.06's alt cd installer got the partition wrong in /etc/fstab, but the linux 2.6.x kernel it installed, got it right >_>)

[litlfrog]

Bumping for great justice.

I left the system alone for a while (this is a spare computer at work), then decided to come back to it and install PC-BSD 7.0.1. Pretty much the same issue--it hangs at a prompt for Manual root filesystem specification. Funny thing is, the computer can start at least somewhat in safe mode; as the system boots, it looks like it's trying to use /dev/ad0s1b, but under the List of GEOM managed disk devices, the only thing listed is still fd0. I've just never seen an error like this in an OS--how can the install CD get all the way through installation using the entire disk and not be able to even find the hard drive on boot?

[TerryP]

The install CD and the installed OS are not always the exact same configuration.

First time I installed Ubuntu, when I rebooted it tried to tell me I had no hard drive xD

[litlfrog]

OK, by booting in safe mode and ignoring the initial screen that wants to change video settings, it's up and running! I guess I have two questions now.

1) Now that I can get to a desktop and open a command line, is there something I can change to make the computer boot correctly in normal mode?

2) If I CAN'T do that and have to just keep booting in safe mode, how big a disadvantage is that? What might I need to do in normal mode that I couldn't do in safe mode?

Thanks in advance for any help, folks.

[TerryP]

Single user mode is a command line, you get / mounted read only and a root shell.


I would take a look at /etc/fstab and see if it is correct.

[litlfrog]

OK, here's how the fstab file appears.

# Device                Mountpoint      FStype  Options         Dump    Pass#
/dev/ad0s1b          	none            swap    sw              0       0
/dev/ad0s1a          	/               ufs     rw              1       1 
linprocfs	/compat/linux/proc	linprocfs rw	0  0
proc	/proc	procfs rw	0  0

Does anyone see something here that doesn't look right, anything that would cause the OS to not boot up properly? Thanks.

[TerryP]

Assuming your install is to a [P]ATA ([E]IDE) or SATA hard drive (ad), and in the first primary partition (slice 1), that should be correct -> as long as the system sees the disk correctly (first drive (ad0), first primary partition (s1))