If you have single media, with missing fstab file (e.g. - no such file /etc/fstab) Then boot will throw you forcedly to single user mode, and you will need interactively enter rootfs device, like ufs:ada0s1 rw More of that, options are really ignored, rootfs is always in RO, and mount -u / not working, so you can't set rootfs writeable, to create fstab. This is very obscure situation, which required from you some external media to boot from just to mount your disk and create fstab with / record. Currently even mount -o rw -u /dev/ada0s1a / NOT working. Fix: 1. Fix options in mountroot prompt, e.g. ufs:ada0s1 rw will mount in RW, not in RO, so you'll be able to create fstab. (Or if UFS root can not be mounted in rw, change help, it's lying to me) 2. Deal with mount -u / when there's no fstab exists (make it work). How-To-Repeat: Get some FreeBSD, erase fstab, boot.
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
FYI: I just got caught in this trap 12.2-RELEASE.