Appendix C. Troubleshooting Installation and Boot Problems

The first step toward resolving an installation or booting problem in FreeBSD is tracking down the problem's source. This appendix is designed to help you identify and solve some of the most common installation and booting problems. The first section covers installation problems, and the second section explains how to diagnose and resolve booting problems.

Note

This appendix is not a complete list of all the problems you could potentially encountersuch a thing would be patently impossible. Rather, it is designed to list some of the most common problems you're likely to encounter in your first days with FreeBSD, as well as possible solutions (of which, in the UNIX world, there are bound to be more than one for any given problem). Further information on troubleshooting problems can be found on the FreeBSD website at http://www.freebsd.org. The online Handbook contains troubleshooting information for many common problems. If the Handbook doesn't provide a solution, you can also post a detailed description of the problem to the freebsdquestions mailing list. More information on the FreeBSD mailing lists can be found in Appendix D, "Sources for More Information."