# Install FreeBSD 8.0 using a USB stick, failed: No /boot/loader



## everypot (Aug 24, 2009)

I tried to install FB 8.0 Beta3 on my Lenovo S10-2 netbook from a usb stick, but I got the following 


```
No /boot/loader

FreeBSD/i386 boot
Default: 0:ad(0,a)/boot/kernel/kernel
boot:
No /boot/kernel/kernel

FreeBSD/i386 boot
Default: 0:ad(0,a)/boot/kernel/kernel
boot:_
```



I followed the instruction: http://miwi.bsdcrew.de/2009/06/freebsd-80-install-with-a-usb-stick/
and did these:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
1: clear stick:

```
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/da0 bs=1k count=1
```

2: make the USB-Stick bootable

```
bsdlabel -Bw da0 auto
```

3: create an UFS2 Filesystem with GEOM Lable â€œFreeBSDâ€ 

```
newfs -L FreeBSD /dev/da0a
```
4:  

```
mkdir /mnt/iso
```

mount ISO-Image:

```
mdconfig -a -t vnode -f 8.0-BETA3-i386-disc1.iso -u 0 && mount -r -t cd9660 /dev/md0 /mnt/iso
```

5: 

```
mkdir /mnt/usb-stick
```


```
mount /dev/da0a /mnt/usb-stick
```


```
cd /mnt/iso
```


```
cp -r *.* /mnt/usb-stick
```

create a fstab:

```
mkdir /mnt/usb-stick/etc/
```


```
ee /mnt/usb-stick/etc/fstab
```

put the codes in the fstab: 

```
/dev/ufs/FreeBSD / ufs ro 0 0
```

save. 


```
umount /mnt/usb-stick
```

Unplug the USB stick.​-------------------------------------------------------------------


----------



## tangram (Aug 24, 2009)

Did you try following the method described in 8.0-BETA1 announcement (which is also applicable to BETA2)?

AFAIK FreeBSD 8.0 sysinstall supports USB install without unneeded tinkering.


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## everypot (Aug 25, 2009)

tangram said:
			
		

> Did you try following the method described in 8.0-BETA1 announcement (which is also applicable to BETA2)?
> 
> AFAIK FreeBSD 8.0 sysinstall supports USB install without unneeded tinkering.



Thanks. I will try this.


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## Aprogas (Aug 25, 2009)

Your boot2 seems to be looking on ad0, I think an USB storage device would be da0 (or higher if there are other da devices).


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## everypot (Aug 25, 2009)

Aprogas said:
			
		

> Your boot2 seems to be looking on ad0, I think an USB storage device would be da0 (or higher if there are other da devices).



Are you saying that the BIOS has some problem?


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## everypot (Aug 26, 2009)

tangram said:
			
		

> Did you try following the method described in 8.0-BETA1 announcement (which is also applicable to BETA2)?
> 
> AFAIK FreeBSD 8.0 sysinstall supports USB install without unneeded tinkering.


I followed their instruction:

```
dd if=8.0-BETA3-i386-memstick.img of=/dev/da0 bs=10240 conv=sync
```

successful. Restart the system to boot from the usb stick. but I get 

```
NO bootable partiton in table_
```

Then I realize that I didn't clean the stick before copying the img. So I clean the stick by 

```
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/da0 bs=1k count=1
```

and recopy the img to the stick

```
dd if=8.0-BETA3-i386-memstick.img of=/dev/da0 bs=10240 conv=sync
```

Finally, a bootable usb stick!


----------



## Aprogas (Aug 26, 2009)

I have no experience with USB booting, I just noticed the ad0/da0 difference. I think your USB stick and BIOS are fine. Try booting from 0:da(0,a)/boot/kernel/kernel


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## segfault (Apr 5, 2010)

I could not get my system to boot 8.0-RELEASE until I did the following which finally seemed to produce a bootable memstick:

```
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/da0 bs=1k count=1
```

and then


```
dd if=8.0-RELEASE-amd64-memstick.img of=/dev/da0 bs=1M
```


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## frankpeng (Feb 28, 2012)

I made freebsd FreeBSD 8.3 on 2GB USB. Everything is fine except there is a trick at /boot/loader.conf. You have to add:

```
kern.cam.boot_delay=10000
```

Another step, I do not know it is a trick or not. You have to wipe out the whole disk before you *fdisk* it.

`dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/da0 bs=512k`

No count! Zero out the whole disk. Some other lazy guys:
`dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/da0 count=2`

I did not get luck with this lazy way.

By the way, this USB stick is not the livefs memory stick. It is a normal FreeBSD on it the same as on a regular hard drive.


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## SirDice (Feb 28, 2012)

frankpeng said:
			
		

> By the way, this usb stick is not the livefs memory stick. It is a normal FreeBSD on it the same as on a regular hard drive.


You are responding to a 2 year old post. FreeBSD 8.0 had a livefs image.


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## frankpeng (Feb 29, 2012)

LiveFS is different than FreeBSD installed on USB. For example, if you want to install ntfs, you can do the following if it is a FreeBSD on USB:

```
cd /usr/ports/sysutils/fusefs-ntfs
make -DBATCH install clean.
```
If it is a livefs, you cannot do this. Can you?


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