# Safe mode



## Fleet (Jan 24, 2010)

Hello,

I am a FreeBSD newbie. I have a headless server, which I want to run FreeBSD on and so I have borrowed a monitor. I was not able to install release 8.0 using default, no-apci or safe mode, but I was able to install release 7.2 in safe mode. I suspect the problem is the servers harddrive, which is quite old. Could that be the case? Of course I would like to find out if that is true, but first I want to be able to shut down the server, so my question is: How do I make the server automatically boot in safe mode?

Best regards, Fleet


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## aragon (Jan 24, 2010)

I think you need to add the following to /boot/loader.conf:

```
hint.acpi.0.disabled=1
hint.apic.0.disabled=1
hint.kbdmux.0.disabled=1
hw.ata.ata_dma=0
hw.ata.atapi_dma=0
hw.ata.wc=0
hw.eisa_slots=0
```


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## inurneck (Jan 25, 2010)

Call it safemode just one more time. I dare you just one more time. lol i'm just kidding you but so you know it's properly called single user mode on FreeBSD. Safe mode is for p.. well. Windoze.


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## aragon (Jan 25, 2010)

inurneck said:
			
		

> Call it safemode just one more time. I dare you just one more time. lol i'm just kidding you but so you know it's properly called single user mode on FreeBSD. Safe mode is for p.. well. Windoze.


No, actually FreeBSD does have a "safe" mode.  Look at the bootup menu next time you reboot.


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## inurneck (Jan 25, 2010)

I take fault. I never noticed that maybe I should open my eyes, is it different from single user mode? Did they start naming it that within the last 5 years? Thats when I used it last and I never heard it called safe mode is all. See cause it's freebsd I spend too much time inside the system and not booting it like other os's hehe. (that's my story and i'm sticking to it.)


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## aragon (Jan 25, 2010)

lol, no prob.  I think it came at some point in the 5.x release cycle?  Can't remember.

It is different to single user mode.  It boots the system all the way, and disables those kernel features I pasted above.  Single user mode leaves them enabled and doesn't boot any of the userland.


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## inurneck (Jan 25, 2010)

Yea I took quite the break at 4.7 so that makes sense.


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## Fleet (Jan 25, 2010)

Thank you very much for your help, aragon. Perphaps you or others could assist me again in finding out what causes the problem when I boot in default mode. I have taken a picture of the screen when it hangs, which can be clicked to below.




Best regards, Fleet


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## inurneck (Jan 25, 2010)

Play with those options specifically the dma ones.
EX:

```
hint.acpi.0.disabled=1
hint.apic.0.disabled=1
hint.kbdmux.0.disabled=1
hw.ata.ata_dma=0
hw.ata.atapi_dma=0
hw.ata.wc=0
hw.eisa_slots=0
```

If i'm reading your problem right the machine boots and sees the drive fine, so its not actually failing You disabled dma and the kernel needs it. If you play with those options the box will come up. Either that or the drive is in fact pooping which wouldn't surprise me those errors I have not seen in years. And if you could resize that picture or host it at a IMG site that would be great before DutchDaemon wakes up and has cardiac failure. It's blowing the tables up on the forum I had to scroll horizontally to reply. Change both the DMA 0 bits to 1 and reboot. Let me know what it does. quick if you can I can hear birds outside I gotta get some sleep. damn Most peoples alarms already went off and they are sipping there morning coffee, and here I am going to bed. What a bum. These forums hijacked my life. Words are looking all funny. Peoples. what in the. Zzzz...


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## Fleet (Jan 25, 2010)

When I do what you say i get this:
http://peecee.dk/upload/view/220253

Sorry it took so long but my isp is having problems today.

Best regards, Fleet


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## Fleet (Jan 25, 2010)

When using:

```
hint.acpi.0.disabled=1
hw.ata.ata_dma=0
```
in /boot/loader.conf I can reach the login prompt. Can you tell me what that implies? The disk is a rather old ata-133 harddrive.

Best regards


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## aragon (Jan 25, 2010)

Maybe the drive doesn't support DMA and for some reason FreeBSD thinks it does.  You can leave DMA disabled - FreeBSD works fine without it.

On the other hand if you know that the drive does support DMA then your IDE cable might be faulty.  You can try replace the cable and enable DMA again to see if it helps.

What happens when DMA is disabled and ACPI is enabled?


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## Fleet (Jan 25, 2010)

aragon said:
			
		

> What happens when DMA is disabled and ACPI is enabled?



I will try it out when I get home later today. Thanks for your answer. you and inurneck have been very helpful 

Best regards


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## SirDice (Jan 25, 2010)

Also make sure DMA mode is enabled in the BIOS.


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## Fleet (Jan 25, 2010)

I have just discovered that I am actually able to reach the login prompt just with apci disabled on 7.2 - I thought that I had tested that before, but it must have been 8.0. Sorry for that. Aragon, with DMA disabled and APCI enabled i get this: http://f.imagehost.org/view/0555/DSC00197

SirDice, There is no such option in the bios.


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## Fleet (Jan 25, 2010)

I was too fast there, it does NOT boot only with APCI disabled. It only boots when /boot/loader.conf is:

```
hint.acpi.0.disabled=1
hw.ata.ata_dma=0
```


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## inurneck (Jan 25, 2010)

I would continue to play with those options until I got the login prompt back, and keep the settings there. What are you going to be doing with this machine? With the prices of IDE drives near rock bottom, and the amount of time your putting into this, it might be worth going to pick one up before you do all this, enjoy it for two weeks and the drive dies anyway. I don't know if thats applicable for you however.


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## inurneck (Jan 25, 2010)

Fleet said:
			
		

> I was too fast there, it does NOT boot only with APCI disabled. It only boots when /boot/loader.conf is:
> 
> ```
> hint.acpi.0.disabled=1
> ...



So why don't you leave it there? Your not going to be able to enable dma=1 on that drive, and you don't need acpi anyway. What do you mean "boot" Do you get as far as a login prompt?


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## Fleet (Jan 25, 2010)

inurneck said:
			
		

> What do you mean "boot" Do you get as far as a login prompt?



By "boot" I meant that I reached the login prompt. Sorry for the incorrectness. As you say I will leave it there now. Thanks for your helpfulness.

Best regards


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## inurneck (Jan 25, 2010)

Glad we could help, and i'm glad it worked out for you. Just make sure you don't overestimate that drives lifetime.


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