# error: "kernel.geom.debugflags" is an unknown key



## bsus (Feb 10, 2011)

Hi, i am new to FreeBSD. I want to install FreeBSD via a USB-Stick. When I want to [cmd=]sysctl kern.geom.debugflags=16[/cmd] I get 
	
	



```
error: "kern.geom.debugflags" is an unknown key
```

I am using Gentoo Linux amd64, 2.6.37. I took a look at /etc/sysctl.conf and didn't find anything with kern.geom.

What should I add or is there another problem?

regards


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## wblock@ (Feb 10, 2011)

bsus said:
			
		

> Hi, i am new to FreeBSD. I want to install FreeBSD via a USB-Stick. When I want to [cmd=]sysctl kern.geom.debugflags=16[/cmd]
> I get
> 
> 
> ...



What version of FreeBSD?



> I am using Gentoo Linux amd64, 2.6.37.



To dd the image to a USB stick?  FreeBSD sysctls only apply if you're actually running FreeBSD. Ignore that when using Linux to write the image.


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## bsus (Feb 10, 2011)

Hmm, but even then it doesn't work. I am getting with the dd command "boot error". I tried everything:

dd command with .img
dd command with .iso
unetbootin with .iso
unetbootin with .img

None of them work or better boot until to the command line; unetbootin with the .img image goes to 
	
	



```
/boot/kernel text=hexacode data=hexacode syms=hexacode
```
The other ways aren't even loading the kernel. So how do you recommend me to install FreeBSD over usb?

regards


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## wblock@ (Feb 11, 2011)

bsus said:
			
		

> Hmm, but even then it doesn't work. I am getting with the dd command "boot error". I tried everything:
> 
> dd command with .img



This is the right way, but make sure you're writing the file to the disk device, not one of the partitions.  For example, not /dev/sdb1 but /dev/sdb.  The device will depend on the version of Linux and what devices are attached.

unetbootin has not been shown to work with FreeBSD ISO files, AFAIK.  Also, see this thread.


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## bsus (Feb 11, 2011)

Ok, now it works 

Problem was that I used the partition and not the whole "disk". Now I am in the menÃ¼, is there a way to install it manually? So like Gentoo and is there a handbook for this manual installation?

I am not a friend of installation programs, because you can't really see what you are doing, or what's going wrong...

Thanks and regards


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## wblock@ (Feb 11, 2011)

You're probably better off using sysinstall until you gain some familiarity with the way FreeBSD system are typically configured.  That said, my Disk Setup On FreeBSD article shows the first step.  After that, you'd have to copy the files from the install CD (can't recall the details of how they are put on the CD, maybe split tar files), then add your settings.


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## bsus (Feb 11, 2011)

The Installation tools are failing everytime. I am doing all steps (parting automaticly) until the last one, where sysinstall wants to do the installation. But there I am getting quite fast the error, that it can't create partitions. There's also strange that fdisk doesnt partition properly, before and after the partition is unused space.

regards


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## xibo (Feb 11, 2011)

bsus said:
			
		

> Now I am in the menÃ¼, is there a way to install it manually? So like Gentoo and is there a handbook for this manual installation?


 Like wblock said you're better off using the installer for a normal BSD installation ( what I think you probably want to do is somewhat like installing the minimal installation, then download FreeBSD's source code and build it with cusomized options as described in chapters 8 and 24 of the handbook - more or less like installing the stage-xyz tarball before you chroot into it and rebuild it in gentoo's default way of installing ) and then using ports which is the more-or-less equivalence to gentoo portage for installing the non-OS packages.
Modifying FreeBSD in a manner different to defining make parameters to buildkernel and installworld or modifying the config files, is like applying your own patches to glibc, coreutils, ... on gentoo linux/gnu, which is most likely not what you wanted to do, either. This thread might also be useful for bootstrapping FreeBSD.



			
				bsus said:
			
		

> Thers also strange that fdisk doesnt part probely, before and after the partition ist unused space


Those are paddings to have the partition start on a 2^n boundary for a certain n that depends on the specification of your platform - BIOS might fail to detect the partition (which is required for loading the boot loader on it) if that is not done.

IIRC the installer will normaly be doing debug output on tty2, so eventually you can find a clue there.



			
				bsus said:
			
		

> The Installation tools are failing everytime.
> I am doing all steps (parting automaticly) until the last one, whee sysinstall wants to do the installation.
> But there i am getting quite fast the error, that it cant create partitions.


If the partitions are not created before the error occurs, i.e. if they aren't present after reboot, try pressing the 'W'-Key (write) in the fdisk "dialog page" (on both, the slice and the slice-partition pages) before pressing 'Q' for (quit/continue) which would force fdisk do the partitioning now instead of doing it only after you selected what you want to install and where prompted whether you're sure  you want to install it.


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## bsus (Feb 11, 2011)

Ok, then I will try first to set it up so it works and then try the fine tuning.



> Those are paddings to have the partition start on a 2^n boundary for a certain n that depends on the specification of your platform - BIOS might fail to detect the partition (which is required for loading the boot loader on it) if that is not done.
> 
> IIRC the installer will normaly be doing debug output on tty2, so eventually you can find a clue there.



I had the same problem with ArchLinux, it seems to be that I have a strange OEM-HDD. Under Gentoo I didn't have problems like this at all but installation-scripts seem to have there problems with it. I get everytime: 
	
	



```
Unable to find device for /dev/ad4s1b in /dev! The creation of filesystems will be aborted
```
The error apears also when I write the partition table with "*w*", seems that fdisk can't write the partitions.

Because after a restart I am getting my old partitions back.

Regards.


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## wblock@ (Feb 11, 2011)

Usually this is due to conflicting or leftover partition information on the disk.  sysinstall doesn't like GPT disks.  If you can wipe out the GPT information, sysinstall should be okay.  I don't know the slick way to do that with Linux.  The brute-force way is to dd zeros to the first and last sections of the disk, 35 blocks or so each.

BSDInstall is worth trying, although I think it installs 9-current.

Please start a new thread for further issues.  The title of this one doesn't apply to what we're talking about now.


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## bsus (Feb 11, 2011)

BSDinstall doesnt find any bootloader over the usb-stick.
Is BSDinstall working with usb.sticks or do i have to0 search something else (maybe other bsd distri?)

regards


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## nakal (Feb 12, 2011)

The point is... *don't press "W"*, just quit with "Q".

I tried this several times now and know that the installer has a bug there. Also notice that "W" is never mentioned among the suggested keys.


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## bsus (Feb 12, 2011)

I did this the first times..it doesn't matter if I use w or q in the fdisk menu, I get with both the same posted error.


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## nakal (Feb 14, 2011)

You have to do this in both, in fdisk and bsdlabel, or the installation will fail.


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## bsus (Feb 15, 2011)

I tried this first. I think I will move this problem to a later date, when I am motivated again.

But there is another question which is going through my mind. It isn't specifically about FreeBSD, it's about all unix, unixlike os. It's the GUI or better the desktop environment.

I have used both KDE 4.6 and Gnome (tested before some months gnome3) and I came to the conclusion that the desktop environment is the weakness of Unix-like systems.

I mean GNU/Linux and *BSD are great from the way to install packages (ports, portage, pacman,....), the (modular) way the os is built.

The oppurtunities what you can do and the steadiness of all at least before installing the desktop environment.

I hope you understand what I mean (because my english isn't as good as it should be) but this is my opinion, what I am now asking myself is:

Is this a fundamental problem of the way GNU/Linux works (community work, so that there are has to be much work by a handful of people) or is this a problem of KDE/Gnome?

For them who can't follow:

KDE = Cant change everything, crappy panel, needs a long time until it works properly
GNOME = Old basic, design so that everything has to patch and doesn't work really how you wnat it (Compiz)

If there are existing other desktop environments which are more stable but still have same features (3d-Cube), how are they called?

Regards.


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## DutchDaemon (Feb 15, 2011)

This is really, really far off-topic (this topic is about a sysctl error ...), and since this forum is not about GNU/Linux, KDE or Gnome, it is probably not the right place to philosophise or discuss developments in non-FreeBSD projects.

Questions about desktop environments and window managers are better asked (separately) in the Other Window Managers sub-forum.

Please stay on-topic in this thread, and/or return to it when you resume your efforts.


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