On Sat, Jan 14, 2017 at 5:29 AM, Cinolt Yuklair <cinol...@gmail.com> wrote:
> The computer I want to install on does not have a CD/DVD drive, but > has USB 2.0 ports. > To get much help here, you need to describe the computer. Normally, you would do that with the output of dmesg, but since you can even boot the install medium, that's not possible, at least with OpenBSD. But some details about the machine would make it more possible for someone to help you. > I have a 16GiB SanDisk USB 3.0, which I have tried formatting with > both "dd" and the Windows utility Rufus, using the file install60.fs. > Again, more detail would help, such as the exact dd command you used and a description of the system on which you ran it. > > When I attempt to boot install60.fs, the BIOS recognizes that it wants > to boot from the USB, but the monitor just stays black. Even though > normally there's hardware recognition text displayed on the screen > before MBR code is run (that is, when the USB is not plugged in), when > the USB is plugged in, the screen just stays totally black. > This paragraph suggests an issue. When I install OpenBSD on a normal PC from a USB key such as you are using, the key is inserted in a USB socket before I power on. During the power-up sequence, there is something you need to do, whether hitting the DEL key or pressing Enter, to get a menu that gives you the option of getting into BIOS setup or choosing the boot device. You want the latter (on Thinkpads, you get into the boot device menu by pressing F12 at this point). Once you have the boot-device-choosing-menu, obviously you select the USB key. From your description above, especially when you speak of "when the USB is not plugged in", I suspect you are not doing this correctly. > > However, I can get the computer to boot FreeBSD 11.0 USB installation > media just fine with the "dd" method. > > I know that simply asking "it doesn't work, what do" probably won't > elicit much response, but from what I've mentioned I think it is safe > to conclude that it is the fault of install60.fs for the boot failure. > No, I think it is much more likely that either you prepared the medium incorrectly or you are using it incorrectly, as I am guessing above. I suppose it is possible, in theory, that you have a quirky machine that no one else in the OpenBSD community is using that won't boot the installation system. I think that is very unlikely, but since you haven't given us any information about your machine, it's impossible to say more. When someone reports a problem like this and provides sufficient information, frequently someone else will respond describing their experience. That can be very helpful in debugging the problem, which is usually pilot error. > What are some possible differences between the OpenBSD USB media and > the FreeBSD USB media? > > Also, my system probably is not UEFI/GPT, though I don't really know > for sure. Does install60.fs assume a UEFI/GPT system, for example? > > The answer to your last question is "no". The kind of install you are trying to do works fine on non-UEFI machines. I'm typing at you using a Thinkpad x250 running OpenBSD current installed from a USB key, just as you are attempting. UEFI is turned off.
