Bug 160802

Summary:	[install] USB installation image fails to boot if BIOS is not GPT compatible - 9.0-BETA2
Product:	Base System	Reporter:	Camillo Särs <ged>
Component:	kern	Assignee:	freebsd-bugs (Nobody) <bugs>
Status:	Closed Feedback Timeout
Severity:	Affects Only Me	CC:	emaste
Priority:	Normal
Version:	9.0-BETA2
Hardware:	Any
OS:	Any

Description Camillo Särs 2011-09-18 14:20:05 UTC

The 9.0-BETA2 USB installation image uses a GPT partition table, which
is not bootable on systems that have a buggy BIOS.  E.g. Gigabyte GA-D510UD.

Attempting to boot the system while the USB stick is connected will
cause the BIOS to fail - the failure mode depends upon the bug in the
BIOS.

The Gigabyte GA-D510UD will lock up completely when it runs into a GPT
partition table of this kind.  The pmbr does not match the CHS setup
that the BIOS expects.

Related bug: bin/115406: [patch] gpt(8) GPT MBR hangs award BIOS on boot

Fix: 

This problem can only be fixed by trying to circumvent the buggy BIOSes.
The most reliable way would be to revert the USB image to MBR format.
Another alternative is to ensure that the pmbr of the GPT partition table
contains a correct CHS configuration, but the GPT pmbr may still cause
problems on some BIOSes.
How-To-Repeat: - Download 9.0-BETA2 USB installation image, install on USB stick
- Connect USB stick to system with GPT issues, attempt to boot the system
- Boot fails

Compare this to the 8.2-RELEASE image, which uses MBR and thus boots correctly.

Comment 1 Mark Linimon freebsd_committer

2011-09-18 15:44:50 UTC

Responsible Changed
From-To: freebsd-amd64->freebsd-bugs

Problem most likely affects more than just amd64.

Comment 2 Eitan Adler freebsd_committer

2017-12-31 08:00:58 UTC

For bugs matching the following criteria:

Status: In Progress Changed: (is less than) 2014-06-01

Reset to default assignee and clear in-progress tags.

Mail being skipped

Comment 3 Ed Maste freebsd_committer

2018-05-24 19:02:27 UTC

As a test, can you grab the image from https://people.freebsd.org/~emaste/mini-image.amd64.xz, uncompress it and write it to a USB stick, and try booting in BIOS and UEFI modes?

Comment 4 Mark Linimon freebsd_committer

2024-11-17 03:45:40 UTC

^Triage: I'm sorry that this PR did not get addressed in a timely fashion.

By now, the version that it was created against is long out of suppoprt.
Please re-open if it is still a problem on a supported version.