Hey Guys, I could really use some help.

 

My brand new server will not boot UnRaid version 6.2.4 -  BUT runs 6.1.9 perfectly.

 

The only thing it can be is the USB key. I have 4 USB keys here, 3 of them are formatted with 6.2.4 and none of those will boot. The only one that successfully boots is the key that contains 6.1.9.

 

I did pay for a license since I have 9 drives in this server, which is linked to the USB key that runs 6.1.9.

 

MB = SUPERMICRO MBD-X10SL7-F-O Micro ATX Server Motherboard LGA 1150 Intel C222 DDR3 1600

CPU = Intel Xeon E3-1231V3 Haswell 3.4 GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1150 80W BX80646E31231V3 Server Processor

MEM = Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM ECC Unbuffered DDR3L 1600 (PC3L 12800) Server Memory Model CT2KIT102472BD160B

 

Back Story: This is a complete swap of the MB and CPU, I returned the first MB and CPU because I thought there was a defect that prevented the system from running the latest version. I also did a 5 hour memtest and the memory tests perfect.

 

Now with the new system board and CPU, it appears that something is still wrong. You would think it's the USB key but I bought the exact brand and model USB key recommended on the Lime-Tech site. The keys were made on a PC formatted under Windows, the keys were also made on a mac using the MS-DOS format process of Disk Utility. Both were tested and it appears to not have made a difference either way.

 

Any ideas?

 

 

Post up your hardware---CPU and MB and any cards you have in the machine. 

 

Describe what you see on the monitor in detail.  Try and get a picture if possible.  BTW, you are not the only one to have issues...

I have that motherboard, albeit probably with an older BIOS, and have no issues running 6.2.4

 

However... I haven't tried running a fresh install, since it's my main server that's been upgraded in place since early 6.0 betas.

 

If it were me, I'd try installing 6.1.9 as a trial on one of your other keys that currently have 6.2.4 and get that running, then try the upgrade to 6.2.4 instead of the fresh install.

 

Do all the keys boot to a login prompt successfully on other hardware?

Frank,

 

The MB/CPU/MEM is posted in my original message.

 

The video connected to the server ran through about a hundred lines of code and returned a prompt. When it did, I could access the UnRaid control panel on my MacPro running Safari, no problem. I can see all the drives, the temp of each drive etc.

 

If you want a photo, please let me know exactly what you want to see.

I have that motherboard, albeit probably with an older BIOS, and have no issues running 6.2.4

 

However... I haven't tried running a fresh install, since it's my main server that's been upgraded in place since early 6.0 betas.

 

If it were me, I'd try installing 6.1.9 as a trial on one of your other keys that currently have 6.2.4 and get that running, then try the upgrade to 6.2.4 instead of the fresh install.

 

Do all the keys boot to a login prompt successfully on other hardware?

 

I did exactly what you suggested. I had 6.1.9 running as a trial and then used did the upgrade from inside Unraid and it would not boot.

 

I have not tried to boot on other hardware. I run macs throughout, I run Parallels on a MacBook. As I said, I have built all 4 keys under windows and under Mac OS with no difference in results.

 

 

If you want a photo, please let me know exactly what you want to see.

Pretty sure Frank meant what happens when the boot process is unsuccessful.

I have not tried to boot on other hardware.

That would be my next troubleshooting step, whatever it takes to make that happen. Possibly mailing a couple of the USB keys to your buddy with the same hardware?

 

If you want a photo, please let me know exactly what you want to see.

Pretty sure Frank meant what happens when the boot process is unsuccessful.

 

When the boot process is unsuccessful, the video monitor connected to the server has nothing but a blinking cursor. and It cannot be accessed remotely.

 

If you want a photo, please let me know exactly what you want to see.

Pretty sure Frank meant what happens when the boot process is unsuccessful.

 

When the boot process is unsuccessful, the video monitor connected to the server has nothing but a blinking cursor. and It cannot be accessed remotely.

Since you don't even get a boot menu showing the option of memtest or unraid, it really sounds like a usb partitioning, formatting, or syslinux failure. I don't think your server hardware is the issue.

Before you ended up with the blinking cursor, did you see the unRAID boot Menu and unpacking of bzroot and bzimage? 

 

You might also want to read the posts on the page:

 

    https://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=52519.60

 

Evidently, some folks with boot issues have had better luck with 6.3.0 rc4.  While it is a beta, it seems to have very few issues except for a possible one with AMD CPU's.  You could try it out on one of those other USB drives that you installed  6.2.4 on that wouldn't boot from. 

 

I would make full copy of your flash drive after stopping the array) before you do an upgrade!  You could try one of those other USB drives that you installed  6.2.4 on that wouldn't boot. 

Yes, before I see the blinking cursor, I watch as it runs bzroot and bzimage, then the screen goes blank and then just the blinking cursor.

 

Might be worth downloading the Unraid V6.2.4 file again and checking the md5, I've seen file corruption cause these kinds of issues.

 

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

 

 

...and don't use USB 3.0

...and don't use USB 3.0

 

Good point, does make me wonder though, as USB3 becomes more common, wonder if LT are working on a solution to mitigate this. 

...and don't use USB 3.0

 

Good point, does make me wonder though, as USB3 becomes more common, wonder if LT are working on a solution to mitigate this. 

I wonder if booting from USB3 is really a BIOS issue rather than an unRAID issue, and nobody has really taken the time to figure out what's going on. I do remember seeing things in BIOS for some motherboards that have to do with USB support. I think maybe it is assumed the OS will be dealing with this after boot so the motherboard doesn't fully support USB3 during boot, at least not by default. Maybe somebody knows or would be willing to experiment.

Before you ended up with the blinking cursor, did you see the unRAID boot Menu and unpacking of bzroot and bzimage? 

 

You might also want to read the posts on the page:

 

    https://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=52519.60

 

Evidently, some folks with boot issues have had better luck with 6.3.0 rc4.  While it is a beta, it seems to have very few issues except for a possible one with AMD CPU's.  You could try it out on one of those other USB drives that you installed  6.2.4 on that wouldn't boot from. 

 

 

I did reformat a flash drive and prepared a it with 6.3.0 rc4 and it showed the same results; will not boot unraid. I plugged in the old USB with 6.1.9 and boom. Booted fine.

 

 

What happens if you replace the bzroot, bzimage and bzroot-gui files on the working USB stick with the bzroot, bzimage and bzroot-gui from 6.2.4?

What happens if you replace the bzroot, bzimage and bzroot-gui files on the working USB stick with the bzroot, bzimage and bzroot-gui from 6.2.4?

 

Before I swapped the MB & CPU, I tried that.

 

It would load the bz files and then the screen would go blank and back to the blinking cursor.

I didn't try it with the new MB/CPU only because it's acting identically as the last round of hardware.

 

And, I don't want to mess up my paid key again.

Has anyone else had any luck with that solution?

 

 

 

What happens if you replace the bzroot, bzimage and bzroot-gui files on the working USB stick with the bzroot, bzimage and bzroot-gui from 6.2.4?

 

Before I swapped the MB & CPU, I tried that.

 

It would load the bz files and then the screen would go blank and back to the blinking cursor.

I didn't try it with the new MB/CPU only because it's acting identically as the last round of hardware.

 

And, I don't want to mess up my paid key again.

Has anyone else had any luck with that solution?

 

Just rename the 6.19 files bzroot.bak bzroot-gui.bak & bzimage.bak

 

Then if you need to roll back to 6.19 the files are still there and just need .bak removing from the name.

 

 

 

We may be beating our heads against the wall.  I seem to recall that is the third case of a Supermicro Server board that won't boot with ver6.2.X.  In fact in one case,  the gentleman had a friend with an 'identical' mother board that would boot and his wouldn't!  I am beginning to suspect that it is an issue between the SuperMicro BIOS and the Syslinux package...

 

MrMitch, you might want to check to see that you have the latest BIOS for your MB.  If you don't, read the change log to see if there is an update in it that might address this issue. 

We may be beating our heads against the wall.  I seem to recall that is the third case of a Supermicro Server board that won't boot with ver6.2.X.  In fact in one case,  the gentleman had a friend with an 'identical' mother board that would boot and his wouldn't!  I am beginning to suspect that it is an issue between the SuperMicro BIOS and the Syslinux package...

 

MrMitch, you might want to check to see that you have the latest BIOS for your MB.  If you don't, read the change log to see if there is an update in it that might address this issue.

 

I do have the latest BIOS on the MB and I am the same person who has a friend with Identical hardware, in fact, I used his build videos to build my server.

 

 

 

 

Hate to review an old thread, but I've got serious issues here.

 

6.1.9 was running fine, 'Upgraded' to 6.3.2 and was unable to connect after a restart. Tried all the options above and eventually running out of options, having copied the files from my USB to the PC (post the upgrade), I restored them to the USB stick, replaced the latest files with those from the previous folder, stared the server and when the options come up it's saying 'Automatic boot in 5 seconds...'  it then counts down and goes straight back to 'Automatic boot in 5 seconds...' rinse and repeat. 

 

There is a brief message along the lines of 'Booting Kernel failed: Invalid Argument' as it loops

 

Any ideas? 

11 minutes ago, Yak said:

Hate to review an old thread, but I've got serious issues here.

 

6.1.9 was running fine, 'Upgraded' to 6.3.2 and was unable to connect after a restart. Tried all the options above and eventually running out of options, having copied the files from my USB to the PC (post the upgrade), I restored them to the USB stick, replaced the latest files with those from the previous folder, stared the server and when the options come up it's saying 'Automatic boot in 5 seconds...'  it then counts down and goes straight back to 'Automatic boot in 5 seconds...' rinse and repeat. 

 

There is a brief message along the lines of 'Booting Kernel failed: Invalid Argument' as it loops

 

Any ideas? 

 

OK. that sounds like a much simpler issue, a syslinux issue.  Download the 6.3.2 distro and copy the syslinux files and make_bootable files to your boot drive, then run make_bootable, then try booting.

13 minutes ago, Yak said:

Hate to review an old thread, but I've got serious issues here.

 

6.1.9 was running fine, 'Upgraded' to 6.3.2 and was unable to connect after a restart. Tried all the options above and eventually running out of options, having copied the files from my USB to the PC (post the upgrade), I restored them to the USB stick, replaced the latest files with those from the previous folder, stared the server and when the options come up it's saying 'Automatic boot in 5 seconds...'  it then counts down and goes straight back to 'Automatic boot in 5 seconds...' rinse and repeat. 

 

There is a brief message along the lines of 'Booting Kernel failed: Invalid Argument' as it loops

 

Any ideas? 

Refresh your browser.

37 minutes ago, RobJ said:

 

OK. that sounds like a much simpler issue, a syslinux issue.  Download the 6.3.2 distro and copy the syslinux files and make_bootable files to your boot drive, then run make_bootable, then try booting.

Brilliant, that worked, but with one issue. it boots but no further than being able to log on to tower. I'd roll back to the files in the previous folder but that all appear to be 0kb now.

 

Thanks anyway