Core: USB installer images won't work with BIOS

[LinuxKernel1]

Used dd and rufus to create a bootable usb device (OPNsense-19.1.4-OpenSSL-vga-amd64.img), but refuses to boot on various machines with BIOS. After the boot devices is selected a blank screen appears for some seconds and you are back at the boot device selection.
On a PC with UEFI it works without a problem.
Also tried version 18.7 & 18.1 with the same result.

The pfsense image(pfSense-CE-memstick-2.4.4-RELEASE-p3-amd64.img) works perfectly.

[LinuxKernel1]

Current situation after some more testing:
Machine 1 - BIOS: NOT WORKING
Machine 2 - BIOS: NOT WORKING
Machine 3 - BIOS: WORKING
Machine 4 - UEFI: WORKING
OPNsense-19.1.4-OpenSSL-vga-amd64.img and rufus were used.

Workaround:

1. Create a bootable media with rufus
2. Convert the GPT disk to MBR
3. Mark the EFISYS partition as "active"
   --> WORKING on all BIOS PC's<--

Booting from GPT based images is intended to work on BIOS PC's as well, so there is still somewhere a problem.

[fawzy46]

Current situation after some more testing:
Machine 1 - BIOS: NOT WORKING
Machine 2 - BIOS: NOT WORKING
Machine 3 - BIOS: WORKING
Machine 4 - UEFI: WORKING
OPNsense-19.1.4-OpenSSL-vga-amd64.img and rufus were used.

Workaround:

1. Create a bootable media with rufus
2. Convert the GPT disk to MBR
3. Mark the EFISYS partition as "active"
   --> WORKING on all BIOS PC's<--

Booting from GPT based images is intended to work on BIOS PC's as well, so there is still somewhere a problem.

can you share more detailed steps, please

converting to gpt format the hard drive right? so how we do it after creating a bootable media?

[LinuxKernel1]

converting to gpt format the hard drive right?

After you wrote the image to your USB device it automatically will use GPT and to make it work you have to convert it to MBR. You just have to modify your USB device, your PC will be untouched.

so how we do it after creating a bootable media?

You still can modify your bootable USB device after you have written the image onto it. There are various tools available for it.

[fawzy46]

converting to gpt format the hard drive right?

After you wrote the image to your USB device it automatically will use GPT and to make it work you have to convert it to MBR. You just have to modify your USB device, your PC will be untouched.

so how we do it after creating a bootable media?

You still can modify your bootable USB device after you have written the image onto it. There are various tools available for it

I thought i have done something wrong as my usb always turn to gpt after burning. One last thing after burning the img I can't open the usb from windows or display the files it contains is that normal?

[LinuxKernel1]

I thought i have done something wrong as my usb always turn to gpt after burning.

Usually depends on a few things, but in case of opnsense it's normal (predefined by the image).

One last thing after burning the img I can't open the usb from windows or display the files it contains is that normal?

As far as I can remember I think it's normal.

[fawzy46]

Unfortunately I did what you said exactly but no success. There is no EFIsys partition on my usb drive

[LinuxKernel1]

Unfortunately I did what you said exactly but no success. There is no EFIsys partition on my usb drive

Just downloaded OPNsense-19.7-OpenSSL-vga-amd64.img and wrote it to a USB device with rufus.
Then used a tool called Active Partition Manager (freeware) to convert the disk to MBR and set the EFISYS partition to active. Also tested it on one of my PC's.

I am wondering why your result is different...

[fawzy46]

I downloaded the serial img and apparently it booted fine do i need to do any extra steps for serial installation?

[fawzy46]

Unfortunately I did what you said exactly but no success. There is no EFIsys partition on my usb drive

Just downloaded OPNsense-19.7-OpenSSL-vga-amd64.img and wrote it to a USB device with rufus.
Then used a tool called Active Partition Manager (freeware) to convert the disk to MBR and set the EFISYS partition to active. Also tested it on one of my PC's.

I am wondering why your result is different...

Man thanks alot i tried active partition manager and it workes great thanks mate

[netrixtardis]

I believe Rufus is the issue when it comes to Legacy BIOS boot. I have been using Win32DiskImager to write the *.img files to USB drives for years and have never encountered any issues. Also to note, I have no UEFI equipment, as such I cannot validate those issues.

[fawzy46]

I believe Rufus is the issue when it comes to Legacy BIOS boot

I don't think so, i used win32diskimager and lt caused the same problem so i think it is pre defined in the vga img it self to convert the drive to gpt when using the serial img the drive remains mbr no mater what program you use to create the bootable drive

[AdSchellevis]

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[erdincay]

I have the same issue. The problem is with the IMG. I have used DD and Popsicle. I am pretty sure that DD has no issues, and Popsicle hasn't yet let me down, writing an simple image. The ISO file (for DVD/CD etc.) is written perfectly, but it is not bootable with USB media.