Date: Thu, 7 Mar 2013 14:18:23 -0800 From: Doug Hardie <bc979@lafn.org> To: Kevin Oberman <rkoberman@gmail.com> Cc: rjk@wintek.com, freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Sanity Check on Mac Mini Message-ID: <71F173FA-CB9C-43B4-A702-ABA82268EA83@lafn.org> In-Reply-To: <CAN6yY1vgjwxOCVrvJkJ4AS%2BfXVQMbhJVKbtc=jo6BT-M2gP6qA@mail.gmail.com> References: <51CB1227-3A5F-4688-B48D-4D0E47A17572@lafn.org> <5138A742.3090200@wintek.com> <97F9BA96-A328-4EF9-8E39-A8160AF9EB7A@lafn.org> <CAN6yY1vgjwxOCVrvJkJ4AS%2BfXVQMbhJVKbtc=jo6BT-M2gP6qA@mail.gmail.com>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On 7 March 2013, at 11:57, Kevin Oberman <rkoberman@gmail.com> wrote: > On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 11:10 AM, Doug Hardie <bc979@lafn.org> wrote: >=20 > On 7 March 2013, at 06:42, Richard Kuhns <rjk@wintek.com> wrote: >=20 > > On 03/07/13 01:59, Doug Hardie wrote: > >> I have a new Mac Mini and have encountered the same problem = reported last year by Richard Kuhns. YongHyeon PYUN provided some = patches to the kernel that resolved the problem. However, without an = internet connection its a bit tricky to get them into the system. Here = is the approach I believe will work, but wanted to check first before I = really mess things up. > >> > >> 1. Downloaded from current today via svnweb.freebsd.org: > >> sys/dev/bge/if_bgereg.h > >> sys/dev/bge/if_bge.c > >> sys/dev/mii/brgphy.c > >> > >> I believe the patches are incorporated in today's versions. The = comments indicate such. Thus I don't need to apply the original = supplied patch. > >> > >> 2. Put those on a flash drive. > >> > >> 3. Install 9.1 release from flash drive onto the Mini disk. Have = to include the system source. > >> > >> 4. Copy the files from 1 above from flash over the files on the = disk. > >> > >> 5. Rebuild the kernel and install it. > >> > >> Thanks, > >> > >> -- Doug > > > > That's worked for me 3 times now. >=20 > Thanks. Well, I got 9.1 Release installed, but it won't boot from the = internal disk. It doesn't see the disk as bootable. I installed using = the entire disk for FreeBSD. I used the i386 release. Perhaps I need = to switch to the amd64 release? >=20 > I would generally recommend using the amd64 release, but it may not = get your system to boot.=20 >=20 > How is your disk partitioned? GPT? Some BIOSes are broken and assume = that a GPT formatted disk is UEFI and will not recognize them if they = lack the UEFI boot partition. UEFI boot is a current project that seems = likely to reach head in the fairly near future, but it's not possible = now. No idea what the default partitioning is for BSDInstall. However the = Mini is only EFI or UFEI with some fallbacks although the comments I = find in the web indicate that different models have different fallbacks. One comment indicates that an older unit will boot if its MBR = partitioning. I don't know if the new installer supports that or not. >=20 > You may be able to tweak your BIOS to get it to work or you may have = to install using the traditional partitioning system. The installer = defaults to GPT, but can create either. >=20 > I have such a system (ThinkPad T520) and I have two disks... one that = came with the system and containing Windows, and my GPT formatted = FreeBSD disk. I wrote a FreeBSD BootEasy boot into the MBR of the = Windows disk and it CAN boot the GPT disk just fine. Not ideal for most, = but it works well for me Based on a comment I say, waiting till the empty folder icon appears and = then plugging in the install memstick causes the mini to boot from disk. = That just downright weird, but it works. I could live with that, but = this is an unattended server and would experience some down time if I am = not there when there is a power failure. I just found some "instructions" for using MBR with bsdinstall, but = given there is an effort to create a UEFI boot which I suspect would = expect to find the GPT boot partition, perhaps I should just go with the = memstick approach? -- Doug
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?71F173FA-CB9C-43B4-A702-ABA82268EA83>