# Boot failure when HDD/USB-hub plugged on dedicated BSD-base-only server :(



## Spartrekus (Feb 28, 2019)

Hello,

I have a really clean base system - even pkg is not yet run anytime.

I plug an harddisk. Or I plug an usb hub.
I have noticed that my dedicated server hangs at boot.  The leds of the ethernet network is off. SSH is down. And no idea what is doing the freebsd server.

I unplug the harddisk or the usb hub, and it boots, networking works and the server works.

This can be reproduced. And it is clear that USB is the issue.

A workaround is to plug afterwards the harddisk or usb hub, after starting (without USB),  the usb hub, then all works fine.
But, the # reboot   will result in an offline server, if usb is still plugged.

Note: /etc/fstab is untouched, i.e. default, and all system is just installed so... not easy what it could be.

Where to start to dig with this and find a possible fix?

Yours sincerely,
Spartrekus


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## VladiBG (Feb 28, 2019)

Attach a monitor to the server and see where it hang. 
Most likely your hard-disk device name are changed when you attach external disk and you will need to label your root partitions and make the changes in /etc/fstab using UUIDs for GPT disks or glabel for MBR so it doesn't metter if your disk is detected as ada0 or ada1.


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## Spartrekus (Feb 28, 2019)

VladiBG said:


> Attach a monitor to the server and see where it hang.
> Most likely your hard-disk device name are changed when you attach external disk and you will need to label your root partitions and make the changes in /etc/fstab using UUIDs for GPT disks or glabel for MBR so it doesn't metter if your disk is detected as ada0 or ada1.



I dont want to touch the /etc/fstab at all. 
I want a reliable reboot !!!!!

Since /etc/fstab is by default and clean, freebsd should leave in peace those disks ....
(in other words, no mentions of any da0,... stuffs in the /etc/fstab, so bsd should boot, but it is not)


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## Phishfry (Feb 28, 2019)

What about the boot order of the motherboard. Are you sure you have your FreeBSD Disk as the default.
Maybe your computer is trying to boot off this usb stick.
Is it blank? Maybe it has /EFI partition being found?
Some UEFI bios will poke around your FAT partitions looking for /EFI and its bootloader..


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## VladiBG (Feb 28, 2019)

What error message you receive during the boot? How is your boot order setup in the BIOS?

btw
It's a FreeBSD® not freebsd.


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## Spartrekus (Feb 28, 2019)

Phishfry said:


> What about the boot order of the motherboard. Are you sure you have your FreeBSD Disk as the default.
> Maybe your computer is trying to boot off this usb stick.
> Is it blank? Maybe it has /EFI partition being found?
> Some UEFI bios will poke around your FAT partitions looking for /EFI and its bootloader..



the boot order of mother board is fine. hardware is fine.

It comes from the FreeBSD(r)(c) surely.

Debian _tested_ can do this server, with _reboot_.


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## SirDice (Feb 21, 2020)

Try adding this to /etc/sysctl.conf and see if that helps:

```
hw.usb.no_shutdown_wait=1
```


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