# Root mount waiting for: usbus0



## i.am.the.problem (Nov 4, 2021)

I'm trying to install FreeBSD 11.0 on a DELL server via the iDrac Virtual Console, using Virtual Media, but it gets stuck trying to mount the cd then just prints "Root mount waiting for: usbus0" over and over.


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## SirDice (Nov 4, 2021)

i.am.the.problem said:


> I'm trying to install FreeBSD 11.0


FreeBSD 11.0 has been end-of-life since November 2017. As of September 2021 the _entire_ 11 branch is end-of-life. 









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## i.am.the.problem (Nov 4, 2021)

SirDice said:


> FreeBSD 11.0 has been end-of-life since November 2017. As of September 2021 the _entire_ 11 branch is end-of-life.


Hi. I'm aware of this. I have a legacy system with lots of binary's compiled to run on FreeBSD 11. The hardware is ~8 years old now and I'm getting worried about failure. As a stop gap measure I want to install FreeBSD 11 on new hardware, then install everything from the existing server from backups, on to the new hardware. 
The first step is to make sure that FreeBSD 11 can see all the hardware etc.
The process of getting all the legacy binaries compiled and running on the latest FreeBSD will take longer than a day.


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## mer (Nov 4, 2021)

To the best of my knowledge newer versions of FreeBSD will run binaries built on/for older systems.  There may be a backwards compatibility limit (as in trying to run a 3.x binary on a 14-CURRENT may not work).

I would try installing latest 12-RELEASE (it may be 12.3) that should be able to run the 11.x binaries.

I think there may be a way to stop in the loader and set some environment variables (like what would go in loader.conf).  If there is, try hw.usb.no_boot_wait="1"  That disables waiting for USB stuff at boot.

of course if the CD drive is attached via USB it may not help and may actively hurt.
If the unit can be booted off a USB, you may want to try that with the apropriate image.


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## SirDice (Nov 4, 2021)

i.am.the.problem said:


> I have a legacy system with lots of binary's compiled to run on FreeBSD 11.


That's what the kernel options COMPAT_FREEBSD11, COMPAT_FREEBSD12 and ports/packages like misc/compat11x and misc/compat12x are for. To run 11 binaries on 13 you need them both.


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## tingo (Nov 6, 2021)

OP: what other options does the iDrac have? Try to install using media in some other virtual "gadget" if possible. Also, try with the newest release, just to see if the install media boots (then you can rule out wrong settings for the virtual media).


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## grahamperrin@ (Nov 7, 2021)

mer said:


> … latest 12-RELEASE (it may be 12.3) …



12.2-RELEASE. 

FreeBSD 12.3 Release Process | The FreeBSD Project


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## i.am.the.problem (Nov 8, 2021)

tingo said:


> OP: what other options does the iDrac have? Try to install using media in some other virtual "gadget" if possible. Also, try with the newest release, just to see if the install media boots (then you can rule out wrong settings for the virtual media).


Hi. I tied booting FreeBSD 11.0 via virtual cd, direct usb and PXE boot. None of which worked.
I tried FreeBSD 13 which did boot. Sadly one of the binaries uses libzfs and wouldn't work with the version from FreeBSD 13.
I then tried FreeBSD 11.4 which did boot. So am going to use that.


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