# FreeBSD on Sun's X4500 - No Disks Found!



## ramm (Jun 8, 2010)

I would like to install FreeBSD on x4500 and not Solaris.

Problem is that FreeBSD doesn's see hardrives.

Tried everything
+ 7.2, 8.0, even 9.0, RELEASE, STABLE, CURRENT
tried loading ahci modole at boot time (if im doing it correct), which according to specs should support Marvell SATA controller on this machine. 

tried loading defaults in BIOS. 

Solaris and OpenSUSE sees hard drives without problem. 

im Googlin for a week about this. An it seems that no one have had any problems installing FreeBSD on this machine. 

any help would be nice.


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## kpedersen (Jun 8, 2010)

What sometimes helps me getting past "missing disks" is in the freebsd installer, before you do a standard install or anything. Go to options and select "Rescan Devices" (May have a similar name)

Then try and install as normal.

Good luck


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## ramm (Jun 8, 2010)

tried that too
interesting is that after I press Re-Scan Devices
the message "Scanning.... (this can take a while)" 
doesnt really take a while. 
it just flashes, like it has nothing to probe

still "No Disks Found!"


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## dennylin93 (Jun 8, 2010)

Can you provide the model of the controller?


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## ramm (Jun 8, 2010)

sun provides .iso file with linux drivers for that machine 


This software package is the software driver version 3.6.3 for the MV88SX50xx,
 MV88SX60x1, MV88SX6042 and MV88SX7042 parts for Linux operating system.


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## ramm (Jun 8, 2010)

Solaris says:
MV88SX6081 8-port SATA II PCI-X Controller

solaris driver:
marvell88sx


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## dennylin93 (Jun 8, 2010)

88SX6081 is listed in sys/dev/ata/chipsets/ata-marvell.c, so it should be supported. Try asking on freebsd-current@ and freebsd-stable@ and submit a PR.


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## ramm (Jun 8, 2010)

too bad. 
It seems ill have to live with Solaris, (despite the fact, i hate it)

no time for such troubleshooting.


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## mav@ (Jun 8, 2010)

If you have fresh 8-STABLE or 9-CURRENT you may try to load the new mvs(4) driver. It should support 88SX6081.


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## ramm (Jun 9, 2010)

no such module mvs...


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## mav@ (Jun 9, 2010)

Added to 9-CURRENT on 2010-05-02 and to 8-STABLE on 2010-05-19. Check your image dates.


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## ramm (Jun 9, 2010)

still no luck. (mvs loaded)

ok, maybe im doing something wrong. 

while booting from BSD .iso, I select "6 - Escape to boot promt"

then


```
>load mvs
loaded ....mvs.ko
>boot
```


is that good?


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## mav@ (Jun 9, 2010)

It's OK. It could help if you show your verbose dmesg.


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## ramm (Jun 9, 2010)

can't
im installing remotly via ilom. Cant copy from there. 

Anyway - thanks for hints. 
I already installed opensolaris

it apears much less disturbing than versions which i had worked with, a few years ago. 

too bad I couldn manage to get FreeBSD on that box. (time is ticking), have to put this box in production ASAP. 


thanks again.


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## mav@ (Jun 9, 2010)

Could you at least show output of Solaris' equivalent of `pciconf -lvbc`?


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## ramm (Jun 10, 2010)

closest thing i found is  /usr/X11/bin/scanpci (filtered output)


```
pci bus 0x0001 cardnum 0x01 function 0x00: vendor 0x11ab device 0x6081
 Marvell Technology Group Ltd. MV88SX6081 8-port SATA II PCI-X Controller

pci bus 0x0002 cardnum 0x01 function 0x00: vendor 0x11ab device 0x6081
 Marvell Technology Group Ltd. MV88SX6081 8-port SATA II PCI-X Controller

pci bus 0x0005 cardnum 0x01 function 0x00: vendor 0x11ab device 0x6081
 Marvell Technology Group Ltd. MV88SX6081 8-port SATA II PCI-X Controller

pci bus 0x0006 cardnum 0x01 function 0x00: vendor 0x11ab device 0x6081
 Marvell Technology Group Ltd. MV88SX6081 8-port SATA II PCI-X Controller
```


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