# FreeBSD 8 install error....



## dbuckhal (Feb 18, 2010)

Hello,

I am currently running FreeBSD 8 on a system and I want to install a fresh installation on a second slice.  The current installation is on slice 1.  I had since removed other slices in order to create a clean slice for this DVD install of FreeBSD 8.

After going through the usual slicing, labelling, choosing of the initial files to install (binaries, sources, docs, etc...), I come up to the step where it performs the disk operations and begins the installation.  It prepares the disk then immediately errors out with:

"installInitial  Couldn't clone the boot floppy onto the root file system."

I cannot continue....

I have installed FreeBSD (versions 5.x - 7.x) many times as primariy OS, secondary on another slice, dual-booting with Windows, but this the first time I am attempting an install from DVD of FreeBSD 8, and the first time I have seen this error.  I have Google'd and searched these forums, but found no answer, hence the new posting.

In the meantime, I am going to burn a version 7.2 DVD and see if that installs.

Thanks,

Derrick


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## SirDice (Feb 18, 2010)

Sounds like the DVD image you used is corrupted. Did you check the hash before burning?


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## dbuckhal (Feb 18, 2010)

No, but I tried two copies I had available from FreeBSD's ftp.  I'll check that out and maybe download a fresh copy, burn it to a new dvd then give it another go.


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## Blacky (Aug 24, 2010)

Hello,

the same message appears on my screen, right after I commit.
I booted from a USB stick with the 8.1-RELEASE image and am trying to install to a SATA disk.

When I switch to Alt-F2, the last meesages are:

```
DEBUG: Notify: Copying the boot floppy to /stand on root filesystem
Brief Usage:
  List:    cpio -it < archive
  Extract: cpio -i < archive
  Create:  cpio -o < filenames > archive
  Help:    cpio --help
```
It looks to me as if the syntax of the invoked cpio is incorrect, but I'm unable to see the command itself.


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## wblock@ (Aug 25, 2010)

Blacky said:
			
		

> Hello,
> 
> the same message appears on my screen, right after I commit.
> I booted from a USB stick with the 8.1-RELEASE image and am trying to install to a SATA disk.
> ...



/stand has been gone for a long time.  And... boot floppy?  Please show exactly where you found the DVD.


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## Blacky (Aug 25, 2010)

This is the image I used:

http://ftp.belnet.be/mirror/ftp.fre...64/8.1/FreeBSD-8.1-RELEASE-amd64-memstick.img

Funny thing is, it only happens if I define my partitions by hand.
When I do a Standard Install, it works.
When I do custom install with the default layout, it also works.
But when I create the file systems with custom sizes, the above error happens.
I keep the same layout as the defaults, but with custom sizes:

```
/  4G (standard = 512m)
swap 4g (= standard)
/var 8g (standard = 5g)
/tmp 512m (=standard)
/usr 23,5g (everything else)
```

I'll no try with a boot-CD and see if that works better.


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## Blacky (Aug 25, 2010)

Same story when booted from a DVD instead of a USB-stick.
The DEBUG message about the floppy appears right after the output from mkfs.

Is there some limitation on the size of / ?
(I'm used to working with Solaris on SPARC, so I've never had to create a separate /boot or whatever)


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## SirDice (Aug 25, 2010)

Blacky said:
			
		

> Is there some limitation on the size of / ?


Not that I know of.


> (I'm used to working with Solaris on SPARC, so I've never had to create a separate /boot or whatever)


FreeBSD doesn't have a seperate /boot partition either, linux does (some distros at least).


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## wblock@ (Aug 25, 2010)

Blacky said:
			
		

> This is the image I used:
> 
> http://ftp.belnet.be/mirror/ftp.fre...64/8.1/FreeBSD-8.1-RELEASE-amd64-memstick.img
> 
> ...



So it is something changed that sysinstall doesn't like.  For reference, it looks like this error comes from /usr/src/usr.sbin/sysinstall/install.c, line 293.  And if copySelf is called, it looks for boot.help, which doesn't exist on my 8.x systems.  Maybe it's in the mfs on the memory stick image.



> I keep the same layout as the defaults, but with custom sizes:
> 
> ```
> /  4G (standard = 512m)
> ...



That's probably way more than you need for /, but okay.  Could you describe how you are creating these?  It should just be C, enter the size, pick a type, and enter a mountpoint.  Might you be turning off the newfs option?


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## Blacky (Aug 26, 2010)

wblock said:
			
		

> Maybe it's in the mfs on the memory stick image.


Same story when I boot off the DVD.



			
				wblock said:
			
		

> Could you describe how you are creating these?


I go to my empty disk, press C to create a partition, enter "40g" for size, accept "165" as the partiton type, and press Q to exit and accept the Standard MBR.
Then I go to the Disklabel Editor, select the partition I just created,
press C, enter a size, select "FS", enter "/"
press C, enter a size, select "swap",
press C, etc...
When all filesystems + swap are defined, I press Q to accept changes and get back to the sysinstall menu.



			
				wblock said:
			
		

> Might you be turning off the newfs option?


No, sir, I did not. Moreover, the console shows output from mkfs right before erroring out.

Update:
If I define my own layout and let sysinstall error out, the partitions are created and the file systems mkfs-ed.
Then I reboot the machine from the same DVD or USB stick, the FSs still exist and I can use them for installing BSD. I just have to re-enter the mountpoints in the Disklabel tool and afterwards everything works as expected, so I now have a working FreeBSD on my machine. Yay! :e


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