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"WARNING: loader version: 1.2 should be >= 2.0" on recommended EX2300 firmware.

  • 1.  "WARNING: loader version: 1.2 should be >= 2.0" on recommended EX2300 firmware.

    Posted 07-10-2025 22:36

    When I check the "Junos Software Versions - Suggested Releases to Consider and Evaluate" webpage on Juniper's website, for EX2300 and EX2300-C switches, it recommends "Latest Junos 23.4R2-Sx" which at present is 23.4R2-S4.11 from the downloads page. However when I install and run that version, at root login it throws up a message "WARNING: loader version: 1.2 should be >= 2.0". Searching around the net gives mixed answers from "it's a false alert ignore it" to "there's been private messages from Juniper to big users advising to move to a version 24.2 build". It see4ms odd that the recommended build has such a prominent warning in it. Does anyone have a definitive answer to how we treat this warning and what action if any needs to be taken? 

    Junos Boot Loader Warning

    Doing a "show chassis firmware" command returns

    > show chassis firmware
    Part        Type          Version
    FPC 0    U-Boot    U-Boot 2016.01-rc1 (Nov 11 2016 - 14:26:00 -0800)  1.3.2
                      loader     FreeBSD/armv6 U-Boot loader 1.2
                      CPLD       6

    This warning appears in both the upgrade package and the USB ISO package, and in both EX2300 and EX2300-C switches.

    Anyone able to put me in the know who would be most appreciated. Thanks.  



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    STEPHEN MCBRIDE
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  • 2.  RE: "WARNING: loader version: 1.2 should be >= 2.0" on recommended EX2300 firmware.

    Posted 07-11-2025 07:36

    Hi Stephen,

    Which version of Junos did you upgrade from to get to 23.4R2-S4.11 ?

    Thanks.

    Andy


    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: "WARNING: loader version: 1.2 should be >= 2.0" on recommended EX2300 firmware.

    Posted 07-11-2025 11:32
    Edited by Jodi Meier 07-11-2025 11:31

    It doesn't matter, actually.

    There are no EX2300 bootloader updates. So this is clearly a cosmetic bug with 23.4R2-S4.11 on EX2300...



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    Olivier Benghozi
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: "WARNING: loader version: 1.2 should be >= 2.0" on recommended EX2300 firmware.

    Posted 07-15-2025 18:48

    G'day Andy,

    I had upgraded it a few months earlier from v20.4R3-S2.6 to v23.4R2.13 but then realised a little later that I hadn't checked what version was in the Juniper's "Junos Software Versions - Suggested Releases to Consider and Evaluate" webpage and upon checking that, it recommended "Latest Junos 23.4R2-Sx" which at present is 23.4R2-S4.11 so I went ahead and installed that. Surely whenever Juniper declares a particular build as the recommended verison they would fire up a switch of that model with that build and do some basic checks, and this error appears the moment you login via CLI. l have loaded up a switch with a later build v24.2R2-S1.6 and it does not display the warning but it's not the recommended version to be running.

    Thanks,
    Steve. 



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    STEPHEN MCBRIDE
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: "WARNING: loader version: 1.2 should be >= 2.0" on recommended EX2300 firmware.

    Posted 07-16-2025 13:15

    G'day Stephen.

    Unfortunately I don't have the details on the acceptance criteria for this particular release, although on pure speculation from my side, I would assume that the issue was deemed not serious enough to warrant another release cycle if it was investigated as a purely cosmetic issue.  As I say, this is just pure speculation from me as I really don't know the chain of events associated with this, beyond what I've read internally so far.   Obviously from a testing perspective there is a very large number of automated test suites in addition to manual checks that can be performed, but again without having access to test results etc., I can't comment with any certainty about the process that was followed for this release.

    Regards,

    Andy


    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: "WARNING: loader version: 1.2 should be >= 2.0" on recommended EX2300 firmware.

    Posted 07-16-2025 19:58

    I would have thought it good customer relations that if Juniper knows this is only a cosmetic faff and can be ignored, who would they not issue a technical bulletin advising that such a warning can be ignored on the affected models so their customer know and don't waste time investigating it? Perhaps I expect too much. Out of curiousity, may I ask from where did you learn that a new service release version is in the wings? 



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    STEPHEN MCBRIDE
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: "WARNING: loader version: 1.2 should be >= 2.0" on recommended EX2300 firmware.

    Posted 07-11-2025 11:27

    I have the same question, and I'm familiar with the answers that you reference.  The only thing I can add to the conversation is that (1) I've been running that 23.4 code on quite a few EX2300 and EX3400 switches and have not seen any negative effects of the message, and (2) I did upgrade one EX3400 to v24.4R1, and the message is not present on that version.  I haven't been running it long enough to recommend an upgrade; just saying it seems like it may be fixed already in later versions. 

    I did see what looked like one Juniper article that referenced the warning, but I didn't seem to have access to read it. 



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    CHRIS ROBERTS
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: "WARNING: loader version: 1.2 should be >= 2.0" on recommended EX2300 firmware.

    Posted 07-11-2025 11:27

    Stephen,

    Currently this issue is : cosmetic with no apparent impact.

    I would expect that the underlying root cause will be addressed in a subsequent s/w release, although I have no visibility as to when that might be.

    Regards


    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: "WARNING: loader version: 1.2 should be >= 2.0" on recommended EX2300 firmware.

    Posted 07-11-2025 11:30

    Hi,

    Recently we came across the same problem and created a TAC ticket about this message.

    Appearently the message is cosmetic and doesn't effect traffic.

    Regards,



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    MEHMET SUEL
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    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: "WARNING: loader version: 1.2 should be >= 2.0" on recommended EX2300 firmware.

    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous
    Posted 07-11-2025 11:32
    This message was posted by a user wishing to remain anonymous

    Hi Stephen,

    Yes this is a completely cosmetic issue, and 1 other several cosmetic issues in 23.4R2-S4, we are running 23.4R2-S3 on our EX2300/EX3400s and that has been stable for several months. Although S5 is expected next week for the EX series.


    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: "WARNING: loader version: 1.2 should be >= 2.0" on recommended EX2300 firmware.

    Posted 07-21-2025 15:17

    Hi Stephen,

    I got the same issue when upgrading via install-media and found this KB:


    https://supportportal.juniper.net/s/article/WARNINGloader-version12-should-be--20

    From this it is cosmetically and will be fixed in later versions.


    Cheers

    Tom



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    THOMAS FRANKE
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    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: "WARNING: loader version: 1.2 should be >= 2.0" on recommended EX2300 firmware.

    Posted 07-21-2025 18:25

    AH! Finally they release a bulletin advising what to do about this error,.. which it turns out is do nothing and ignore it. Pity it took them so long but we got there in the end. Thanks for everyone's input. 

    Answered via Support article - WARNING: loader-version1.2 should be 2.0 



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    STEPHEN MCBRIDE
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    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: "WARNING: loader version: 1.2 should be >= 2.0" on recommended EX2300 firmware.

    Posted 07-24-2025 13:28

    Well, «future releases» doesn't mean the next release, of course...

    Freshly updated an EX2300 from 23.4R2-S4 to S5 (that was finally made available for EX this week):

    WARNING: loader version: 1.2 should be >= 2.0

    Still cosmetic, still ridiculous :) 



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    Olivier Benghozi
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    Original Message


  • 14.  RE: "WARNING: loader version: 1.2 should be >= 2.0" on recommended EX2300 firmware.

    Posted 08-15-2025 14:27

    FYI: Just updated a factory new out of the box EX2300 from JUNOS 23.4R2-S4.11 to JUNOS 25.2R1.9 and this is still an issue.



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    BRAD STEVENS
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    Original Message