# Can't load 'kernel'



## balanga (Jul 30, 2017)

Is the "Can't load 'kernel'" error generic? 

I ask because I'm getting this error when trying to boot FreeBSD via U-Boot. I don't know if this is just because 'kernel' is in the wrong location or could it be something else?

The system stops  with a loader> prompt.

Is there anything I can enter at this point to get an idea as to what the problem is?


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## Jov (Jul 30, 2017)

U-Boot needs correct dtb file name to boot the kernel and load the right device driver.
You can load the dtb file manually if the u-boot does not configure well. The dtb file usually in /boot/dtb dir.
This is my raspberry pi b:
ls -lth /boot/dtb/
total 32
-r--r--r--  1 root  wheel    14K Jun  9 22:17 rpi2.dtb
-r--r--r--  1 root  wheel    14K Jun  9 22:17 rpi.dtb

More detail for load dtb file: https://wiki.freebsd.org/FlattenedDeviceTree#Using_loader.288.29


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## balanga (Jul 30, 2017)

I tried loading the dtb but got a msg saying

```
can't load file before kernel
```

I'm not sure whether kernel needs to be called kernel. On my RPi there is no file called kernel on the FAT partition, altough there is a file called config.txt which has the line
	
	



```
kernel=u-boot.bin
```
.

The partition contains a u-boot.bin, ubldr and ubldr.bin.

I only have rp12.dtb. Which version are you using?


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