Proxmox install on SSD but boot from USB

[Adooni]

hi I start to work at HPE MS gen8 that need to work in AHCI as B130 array is not supported.

I have 4x WD RED 4GB at SATA 1-4, SSD drive on SATA 5 (ODD DVD drvie) and pendrive/SD card on internal USB

In this micro server you cannot choose in AHCI mode HDD boot order and it always boot from SATA 1
I want to install Proxmox as bare-metal supervisor (not sure if I name it correctly) - Proxmox to be installed directly on hardware.

My idea is to Install Proxmox on SSD but use grub to boot from USB (USB boot can be setup via BIOS).

The question is how to do that

 

[LnxBil]

I use an USB stick to boot from an ZFS RAIDz1 on UEFI, which is currently not supported. The USB is a standard one-partition GPT disk with vfat and I just copied rEFInd, the PVE-Kernel and -Initrd to the disk and use it to boot.

You can get it to work with grub, but UEFI is simpler. Can you boot from UEFI?

 

[Adooni]

thx for replay. I need to check it but this server is gen8 with Xenon E3 - technologically will be from 2013.
I did not plan to spand much time on setup the HDDs and just use RAID 10 from B120i controller but this is not supported via new linix and when I setup RAID10 via HPE MS gen8 Proxmox see is as separate HDD and then after creating zpool and reboot I have got information that samething is wrong with drives and cannot access them

3 options are available for me.
1. Set SSD (5 bay) and RAID 0 and 4 HDD separately each as RAID 0 - all as JBOD
2. Set BIOS for legacy SATA and then I can boot from SSD
3. Set BIOS as AHCI and then I can just boot from 1or 2 HDD bay (not bay 5 SDD) (controler 2 where I have bay5 is not available for AHCI only Legacy)- in this situation you need to put boot loader to USB/SD card and then ask to use SSD. Here on page 6 TheBiggerMan (homeservershow.com/forums/topic/5886-gen8-25-hdd-in-the-odd-bay-discussion/?page=6) did that for windows server 2008.
My understanding that 3rd option is the best but I am mostly windows user and strangle how to make it happen therefore any help is appreciated.

Could you check if linked above way for windows server will work with your approach for Linux

If yes could you explain step by step (sry ) how to make it happen.

PS. for forum administrator external link is showing way how USB was used for boot on HPE MS gen8 and I hope it is not against Proxmox forum policy.

 

[Adooni]

I was able to boot via SD card port Super Grub2 Disk and then manually from many boot from SSD. This is not solution to every power down manually boot Proxmox via menu (connect keyboard etc.)

who know what need to be added to grub that it automatically boot Proxmox on different HDD

 

[Adooni]

I found grub boot solution here - put in google "jarrod microserver-gen8-boot-from-5th-sata" and it will be in 1st link.

 

[doemer]

I found grub boot solution here - put in google "jarrod microserver-gen8-boot-from-5th-sata" and it will be in 1st link.

Hey Adooni

Do you still use this configuration? The last Proxmox 6.4 updates destroyed it for me. Proxmox still works fine but can only be booted using the Installers Rescue Boot Mode or when removing the 4 HDDs in the bays of the Microserver. I tried recreating the Grub Chainloader Stick from this point but it won't work.

Thx a lot and regards,

Dome