pfSense boots but fails to mount

[GTAXL]

Hello, I'm trying to install pfSense but keep getting a mounting error when booting using Ventoy. "failed with error 19" This happens with both the free Community Version of pfSense and the "pro" version pfSense Plus. I am running Ventoy on a portable M.2 SSD Drive connected to a Supermicro server. When people boot pfSense from the iso or img, it's always to install pfSense onto a system, since the installer is not wanting to mount, this is an issue. The system has an internal M.2 SSD however it should be fully unallocated space, ready to become the destination to install pfSense onto. I am booting Ventoy via UEFI which both the server and pfSense support.


Boot Menu item I select on the server. Sabrent is the Ventoy drive.



The pfSense Community iso I attempt to boot. It boots but fails to mount. As you can see Ventoy boots and identifies it's in UEFI mode.



pfSense Community Edition boots, but that doesn't mean it works..



The mounting error on community edition. Mounting from cd9660:/dev/iso9660/PFSENSE failed with error 19.

Let's try pfSense Plus, which is amd64 based memstick img for a Netgate XG-1541 (the Supermicro server I'm using).



The pfSense Plus image I use.



It boots as well, but not all is well. What good is it if it won't mount and install?



The mounting error on pfSense Plus, very similar error to the free community version. Mounting from ufs:/dev/ufs/FreeBSD_Install failed with error 19.

So it appears pfSense is broken when using Ventoy. The community edition is readily available at https://www.pfsense.org/download/ You'll probably want the VGA one, as the console version is for installing with using serial console.

[Steve2926]

pfSense-CE-2.6.0-RELEASE-amd64.iso
iso file works OK for me on Z87 PC and IdeaPad 300 with NTFS formatted partition 1 and Ventoy 1.0.86.
Can you try different PCs?

[GTAXL]

pfSense-CE-2.6.0-RELEASE-amd64.iso
iso file works OK for me on Z87 PC and IdeaPad 300 with NTFS formatted partition 1 and Ventoy 1.0.86.
Can you try different PCs?

I tried it in another system and it works. I was able to get pfSense to work on the system in question by writing to the image to a flash drive and booting it that way. The unit booted and mounted pfSense just fine. It just for some reason refuses to mount pfSense when it's booted via Ventoy. The system is a Supermicro 5018D-FN4T server and is specialized to run pfSense. It's not that big of a problem, I was able to use a normal flash drive, but it would of been nice if Ventoy just worked. Perhaps there is some optimizations that need to be made with either Ventoy booting pfSense or with pfSense itself. I have shown the error I get, so maybe the developer may know what is causing it. I'm all for improving Ventoy.

[GTAXL]

Now this system fails to boot Ventoy via UEFI. It won't show it as an option for UEFI in the boot selection prompt. It only shows BIOS and will boot the BIOS version of Ventoy. I re-installed Ventoy on the drive, changed USB ports, no dice. Plugged my Ventoy drive into another system, shows UEFI option and boots.

Write a uefi image to a flash drive, pop flash drive in, shows it as an option of UEFI..

I'm not sure what the deal is with Supermicro Servers... it appears it does not like Ventoy, even though it allowed me to boot it via UEFI in the past.. I'm thinking the BIOS update I did now removed that functionality.

[longpanda]

Now this system fails to boot Ventoy via UEFI. It won't show it as an option for UEFI in the boot selection prompt. It only shows BIOS and will boot the BIOS version of Ventoy. I re-installed Ventoy on the drive, changed USB ports, no dice. Plugged my Ventoy drive into another system, shows UEFI option and boots.

Write a uefi image to a flash drive, pop flash drive in, shows it as an option of UEFI..

I'm not sure what the deal is with Supermicro Servers... it appears it does not like Ventoy, even though it allowed me to boot it via UEFI in the past.. I'm thinking the BIOS update I did now removed that functionality.

Maybe something about secure boot.
So update your Ventoy to the latest release and enable secure boot support option.

[GTAXL]

Now this system fails to boot Ventoy via UEFI. It won't show it as an option for UEFI in the boot selection prompt. It only shows BIOS and will boot the BIOS version of Ventoy. I re-installed Ventoy on the drive, changed USB ports, no dice. Plugged my Ventoy drive into another system, shows UEFI option and boots.

Write a uefi image to a flash drive, pop flash drive in, shows it as an option of UEFI..

I'm not sure what the deal is with Supermicro Servers... it appears it does not like Ventoy, even though it allowed me to boot it via UEFI in the past.. I'm thinking the BIOS update I did now removed that functionality.

Maybe something about secure boot.
So update your Ventoy to the latest release and enable secure boot support option.

My Ventoy drive is already the latest version with secure boot option enabled.

The BIOS settings have Secure Boot disabled. CSM is enabled though, not sure if that has anything to do with it.

This system booted Ventoy via UEFI before... but after BIOS update refuses to. I use the F12 button on startup to give me the boot selection prompt, the UEFI option for the Sabrent drive (my Ventoy drive) no longer appears, where it did before. However, I write any type of UEFI OS image to a flash drive using Rufus or Etcher, it reads them just fine and shows UEFI option in the boot prompt. It's strange Ventoy worked just fine before booting UEFI, as you can see in the screenshots... my original issue was getting pfSense to mount on the system.. but now the system doesn't want to boot Ventoy via UEFI, just BIOS.

[Steve2926]

You may need to update Ventoy or re-install so it does not have Secure Boot files.

[GTAXL]

You may need to update Ventoy or re-install so it does not have Secure Boot files.

Updated Ventoy to the latest version that was just released. Un-checked secure boot option. Still does not appear in the boot prompt.

[fatek]

Is there a solution for this?

I'm on the current version of Ventoy but I still get this error with a SuperMicro mb.

[adti]

Hello,

I am having this same issue with pfsense and Ventoy, exactly like your screenshots. The ISO boots under Ventoy but then the cd9660 iso does not mount. I am using a mini fanless Intel Celeron chipset with an AMI Megatrends BIOS. I have tried Ventoy with and without secure boot enabled, with and without UEFU, GPT and MBR. All no lock. I am trying with the latest versions of Ventoy (1.0.91) and pfsense (2.7.0-RELEASE (amd64) built on Wed Jun 28 03:53:34 UTC 2023).

However when I make the pfsense ISO on a real DVD, it runs fine. And when I flash a USB stick with the pfsense ISO using Balena Etcher, it also runs fine. So the issue I believe is with Ventoy not pfsense or the computer and not only Supermicro motjerboards or BIOS.

I see this has been reported since at least January 2023 and it is now end of August 2023. I hope the issue is addressed soon. Ventoy developers please let me know if I can provide any information, I will be happy to assist.