# FreeBSD install: No /boot/loader



## Umniscient (Aug 16, 2010)

Hello. I'm here today with a problem that occurred several months ago, in March.

Around that time, I decided to install the latest version of FreeBSD (7.x?) on my old eMachines PC. However, I was using a CD which I now know was scratched. I erased my Windows XP partition and used all the defaults for the installation. Of course, the installation failed, and when it came time to reboot, I was left with an error message, shown below.







Every time I boot up, this message is shown. Furthermore, I can't boot from a CD anymore to try to fix the problem. Booting from the CD takes me right back here. 

BIOS Boot Settings:

1. CD-ROM
2. Removable Devices
3. Hard Drive
4. Network Boot

The computer in question is an eMachines T1090 with a 20 GB hard-drive and 128 MB of RAM. 

I would appreciate any assistance.


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## jb_fvwm2 (Aug 16, 2010)

Quickest answer...

```
boot /dev/ad0s2a/boot/kernel/kernel
```
I am unsure but the screenshot *may* mean
fstab (the file telling where on the disk the
filesystems are) do not correlate to the installed
bsd... maybe type ? at the boot menu to see what
devices are present.


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## wblock@ (Aug 16, 2010)

Umniscient said:
			
		

> Every time I boot up, this message is shown. Furthermore, I can't boot from a CD anymore to try to fix the problem. Booting from the CD takes me right back here.
> 
> BIOS Boot Settings:
> 
> ...



Possibly an incorrectly burned CD that can't boot.  Look at the CD on another machine.  If it shows one big ISO file, that's wrong.  How to burn it correctly depends on what platform you use, and it might be easier just to download the USB memory stick image.


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## aragon (Aug 16, 2010)

Sounds like you just need to burn a fresh CD and start over?


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## Umniscient (Aug 16, 2010)

> maybe type ? at the boot menu to see what
> devices are present.



Output is: . .. .snap dev tmp usr var stand etc cdrom cdrom1 dist



> Possibly an incorrectly burned CD that can't boot. Look at the CD on another machine. If it shows one big ISO file, that's wrong. How to burn it correctly depends on what platform you use, and it might be easier just to download the USB memory stick image.



I have tried several disks (with different OSes), and each has been written using Ubuntu Linux. Maybe I'll try the USB image.



> Sounds like you just need to burn a fresh CD and start over?



Well, I can't because the ability to boot from a CD has disappeared.


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## jb_fvwm2 (Aug 17, 2010)

So you would check /dev (dev at that list) to see what
disks it *may* list (/dev/ad0s2a, /dev/da0s2a, ...) ones
ending in s2a (s1a? or ?) may contain the 
/boot/kernel/kernel.  (If that boots, you should edit
the fstab to suit.  That takes more expertise...

```
mount -o -va
```
 or whatever works... first
(If it works, and if that optimistic scenario plays out).

...
Are you sure you are not booting from the cdrom? 
or have one stuck there? seeing
the /cdrom/ in "ls" ...


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## Umniscient (Aug 17, 2010)

Whatever I type in gives

```
No (what I typed in)
```

But the thing is, the system is just ignoring my cd even though it's set up to boot first. It boots fine on my other computer.


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## jem (Aug 18, 2010)

This prompt is the boot2 prompt.  It expects you to specify the name of a file to load in the following format:


```
bios_drive:interface(unit,[slice,]part)filename
```

If you have a single PATA or SATA disk, and you gave it all over to FreeBSD for a standard installation, then you will probably want to enter something like this:


```
0:ad(0,1,a)/boot/loader
```

Or, you could try loading the kernel directly, skipping the loader, with:


```
0:ad(0,1,a)/boot/kernel/kernel
```

I don't know if that'll work though, as the loader does other things before it executes the kernel.


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## SirDice (Aug 18, 2010)

The installation was b0rked. There's no telling what else is broken. 

Just start over, it'll be quicker then trying to fix one problem after another.


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## gcooper@ (Aug 18, 2010)

I agree with SirDice. There's a simple way to redo the boot0 install, but then there could be other issues that you'd have to munge through.


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## Umniscient (Aug 24, 2010)

You're right; I should start over. But I *can't*. Ever since the installation failed, I haven't been able to boot from any CD. It's as if the system is just skipping in the boot order.


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## jb_fvwm2 (Aug 24, 2010)

If you could remove the disk temporarily and attach it
to a machine which boots up the install cdr...


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## SirDice (Aug 24, 2010)

Try and reset the bios. Take out the battery if you have to. 

Looking at the installation problems I have a feeling the cd-drive isn't all that good anymore. Can you try another drive?


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