# Installer won't even start - infinite PC restart loop when installing



## tercovec (Feb 6, 2021)

Hi everyone,
apologies if this is trivial, but I guess I have exhausted my knowledge and capabilities.

I managed to install FreeBSD in a virtualbox under Kubuntu 20.04 with KDE so I thought I could just try and use FreeBSD on the PC directly. But as you can imagine, I want to have the real experience.
However, whenever I try to run the installation from the USB media, my PC boots to the part when you select multiuser / single user and reboots instantly leaving me in an infinite boot loop.
The issue is the same when trying GhostBSD. This affects only my PC, I tried on a friends pc and we get to the next step. I tried different USB media, but the issue is the same

I have done some research and people say it appears to be linked to amdgpu driver. I have a Radeon HD7770 graphic card. 
I have also observed that I can select the option to use serial console instead of video or dual console (serial first). If I select that, it does not reboot and I get to the step when you proceed with the isntallation, but ... I tried reading the handbook and I don't really understand what a serial console is. I imagine it is somethign when I am attached via a serial port talking to a mainframe without a video output? ... I am afraid I would mess up something when I wouldnt be able to boot after the install is finished.

I read somehwere that there is an issue with amdgpu so I ought to hw.syscons.disable=0 ( here https://forums.FreeBSD.org/threads/install-freezes-at-consoles-efi-consoles.61243/post-490519 ) but I don't understand where I should do this. I tried typing it in the terminal of the installation but then I don't know how to proceed. Maybe to edit some file on the installation media?, however I have no idea where. 

I also tried removing all peripherals except keyboard, and montior, but the issue persists. My CPU is Intel Core i5 2300 Sandy Bridge, and this motherboard (https://support.hp.com/us-en/produc...ries/5035344/model/5069084/document/c02668523 )
if it helps. Windows 10 and Kubuntu boots fine.
Thanks a lot for any kind of suggestions, nudge... insight or even explaining some terminology. I am no computer science guru, but I am very curious 

PS: I am not a native english speaker and it may be that I am not being polite enough by anglosaxon standards. However, I tried my best to be polite. If it does not seem that way, let\s blame it on my east european background 

_A little background:
In my social bubble I am considered someone who can solve everyone's PC and Apple issues, however when I started looking into Linux I was literally crushed to earth with information overflow. It is literally overwhelming, it takes so much reading to figure out that Linux is just a kernel (I think I now know what it actually means but that took time and time googling) and that the rest is a collection of additional software around it. RHEL, Debian, rolling relase, system.d Alpine, KDE, GNome, xfce... cinnamon...wayland xorg (you name it).... U want to try a desktop system other than Windows and are literally hammered with terminology overflow... And I thought perturbation approaches to quantum theory were hard )

And then I read about the yellow bikeshed and got to know about FreeBSD. I looked at the handbook and thought: this is so well documented, so well explained where I can learn so much. Tthis is  where I can learn how everything works together, where I know that this does not apply to debian or red hat only... 
So I am all eager to try it, but keep failing running it on my own PC  Unfortunatelly I dont have a second PC  where I could try it so I guess I am overlooking some setting or what not 

Thanks a lot for nudging me into the right direction or where I need to edit what file because... my problem appears to be nowhere documented 
_


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## stratacast1 (Feb 11, 2021)

First off, welcome! I'm also not the best at diagnosing these strange boot issues, but I have 2 thoughts for you to try:

1. Are you certain that secure boot is off? And if so, have you tried setting your computer to legacy boot only or allowing UEFI boot? I remember computers having a horrible UEFI at that time that I struggled with

2. Since you have an i5 2300, have you tried removing your GPU and connecting your display via integrated graphics?

No rudeness detected, no need to worry  hope this gives you some useful guidance


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## SirDice (Feb 11, 2021)

tercovec said:


> However, whenever I try to run the installation from the USB media, my PC boots to the part when you select multiuser / single user and reboots instantly leaving me in an infinite boot loop.


Which image did you use and how did you write it to the stick?



tercovec said:


> I have done some research and people say it appears to be linked to amdgpu driver.


The install media doesn't have or load this driver.


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## the3ajm (Feb 11, 2021)

Did you read this part of the handbook: Chapter 2. Installing FreeBSD; I'm not sure if you're running the system live from the USB but generally you need to install it first then unplug the thumb drive once the PC restarts otherwise it might loop.


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