From owner-freebsd-mobile@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Nov 26 19:16:37 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0AC8A106564A for ; Sat, 26 Nov 2011 19:16:37 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from Cy.Schubert@komquats.com) Received: from idcmail-mo1so.shaw.ca (idcmail-mo1so.shaw.ca [24.71.223.10]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C4BA08FC0A for ; Sat, 26 Nov 2011 19:16:36 +0000 (UTC) Received: from pd2ml1so-ssvc.prod.shaw.ca ([10.0.141.139]) by pd4mo1so-svcs.prod.shaw.ca with ESMTP; 26 Nov 2011 12:01:34 -0700 X-Cloudmark-SP-Filtered: true X-Cloudmark-SP-Result: v=1.1 cv=n2W5COKzyCYKBlY96L0A3my6r0xTlngINTUh0kppeyk= c=1 sm=1 a=QrugwKR0C_UA:10 a=wAGQQ9Az6v0A:10 a=BLceEmwcHowA:10 a=ICAaq7hcmGcA:10 a=kj9zAlcOel0A:10 a=2Er20JxOMs3KTlR2XTlUiQ==:17 a=BWvPGDcYAAAA:8 a=6I5d2MoRAAAA:8 a=ZPKnOZJk40o546AZ_xwA:9 a=f3yre2tQ2eBzAgZ9DrsA:7 a=CjuIK1q_8ugA:10 a=V7tsTZBp22UA:10 a=SV7veod9ZcQA:10 a=HpAAvcLHHh0Zw7uRqdWCyQ==:117 Received: from unknown (HELO spqr.komquats.com) ([24.68.73.211]) by pd2ml1so-dmz.prod.shaw.ca with ESMTP; 26 Nov 2011 12:01:34 -0700 Received: from slippy.cwsent.com (slippy [10.1.1.91]) by spqr.komquats.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 89C6C46B75 for ; Sat, 26 Nov 2011 11:01:34 -0800 (PST) Received: from slippy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by slippy.cwsent.com (8.14.5/8.14.5) with ESMTP id pAQJ1Yc0006475 for ; Sat, 26 Nov 2011 11:01:34 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from Cy.Schubert@komquats.com) Message-Id: <201111261901.pAQJ1Yc0006475@slippy.cwsent.com> X-Mailer: exmh version 2.7.2 01/07/2005 with nmh-1.3 From: Cy Schubert X-os: FreeBSD X-Sender: cy@cwsent.com X-URL: http://www.komquats.com/ To: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Date: Sat, 26 Nov 2011 11:01:34 -0800 Subject: HP 8440p Will Not Bot X-BeenThere: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: Cy Schubert List-Id: Mobile computing with FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 26 Nov 2011 19:16:37 -0000 Hi everyone, A little background before I describe the problem. I'm currently looking to replace my Acer 3623NWxMI laptop. It's been a reliable machine running FreeBSD 5.something to -CURRENT. It currently has 8.2 on it with 9.0-CURRENT (not -RC, it's pretty old) and XP on separate partitions/slices, and a spare FreeBSD partition (was 7.4 but currently unused). No problems here. (A 250 GB disk is pretty small when you have four operating systems on it.) I've managed to extend the life of this Acer 3623 through numerous disk, memory, and CPU upgrades, and have disassembled it a few times to clean out the heat sink of dust, dog and cat fur. But the old laptop's time has come and it's time to look for a replacement for this six year old laptop. It's getting pretty long in the tooth and I need something that supports VT-x or AMD-V, which the Pentium M does not. As I'll be shopping around for a replacement I've cloned my FreeBSD 8.2 partitions and whatever I need from my ZFS zpool to an external USB drive. No problems here. I've booted the external drive on my Acer and FreeBSD works fine. I've been doing this for years as it's my DRP (I use the term disaster in the broadest sense) recovery solution, as I have other external USB drives which I've booted my prod server downstairs from to recover the system disk. I've also used this process to upgrade system disks on my laptop and my servers downstairs. The process works and this particular drive boots FreeBSD on my Acer (df -h shows the USB is mounted as root not the internal IDE drive). All is well here. I unplug the USB drive and plug it into an HP elitebook 8440p. It's my employer's laptop with Windows 7 Enterprise installed on it. The BIOS is locked down and I don't know the BIOS password. However I can select the option to boot from USB disk, which it does in the broadest sense of the word. The problem is that it loads the FreeBSD MBR on the USB drive. It then loads the FreeBSD stage 2 boot on the USB drive and hangs. Act 2: Not to be outsmarted by this HP laptop, I try again. This time when the stage 2 boot loader spinner displays the boot: prompt, I hit space and enter 0:da(0,a)/boot/loader This gets me a little further. It now hangs at Loading /boot/defaults/loader.conf. It may very well be that there is some kind of BIOS setting that might fix this but since it's not my laptop and since the BIOS is locked down I have no way to resolve this issue, or it may be that the HP elitebook 8440p just doesn't work with FreeBSD. Or, there may be something I could do to in my loader.conf that might bypass this problem. Any ideas? If I can get it to work and test out FreeBSD 8.2 on this laptop I'll consider buying one to replace my Acer. In the mean time I'll try to boot this USB drive on an Acer 5560G (the label says 5560-sb410) with a four core AMD A6-3400 processor (1.4-2.3 GHz), 6 GB of DDR3, 640 GB drive, etc., at a store I walked into yesterday. The $499 price tag caught my eye. Maybe I'll have better luck there. Any and all help would be appreciated. -- Cheers, Cy Schubert FreeBSD UNIX: Web: http://www.FreeBSD.org The need of the many outweighs the greed of the few. From owner-freebsd-mobile@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Nov 26 22:29:41 2011 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4CCFD106566C for ; Sat, 26 Nov 2011 22:29:41 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from Cy.Schubert@komquats.com) Received: from idcmail-mo2no.shaw.ca (idcmail-mo2no.shaw.ca [64.59.134.9]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 14D458FC0C for ; Sat, 26 Nov 2011 22:29:40 +0000 (UTC) Received: from lb7f8hsrpno-svcs.dcs.int.inet (HELO pd6ml3no-ssvc.prod.shaw.ca) ([10.0.144.222]) by pd5mo1no-svcs.prod.shaw.ca with ESMTP; 26 Nov 2011 15:29:40 -0700 X-Cloudmark-SP-Filtered: true X-Cloudmark-SP-Result: v=1.1 cv=d+geQ/tqU9SqvX6TeKtcPB7snF2nudecYQ9K08j2zdA= c=1 sm=1 a=QrugwKR0C_UA:10 a=wAGQQ9Az6v0A:10 a=BLceEmwcHowA:10 a=ICAaq7hcmGcA:10 a=kj9zAlcOel0A:10 a=2Er20JxOMs3KTlR2XTlUiQ==:17 a=BWvPGDcYAAAA:8 a=6I5d2MoRAAAA:8 a=fC3AlYu55WjZ-P5jBY8A:9 a=TYxA-9taLnw7pGYSJtwA:7 a=CjuIK1q_8ugA:10 a=V7tsTZBp22UA:10 a=SV7veod9ZcQA:10 a=HpAAvcLHHh0Zw7uRqdWCyQ==:117 Received: from unknown (HELO spqr.komquats.com) ([24.68.73.211]) by pd6ml3no-dmz.prod.shaw.ca with ESMTP; 26 Nov 2011 15:29:40 -0700 Received: from slippy.cwsent.com (slippy [10.1.1.91]) by spqr.komquats.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 773CA46B54; Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:29:39 -0800 (PST) Received: from slippy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by slippy.cwsent.com (8.14.5/8.14.5) with ESMTP id pAQMTd4i009201; Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:29:39 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from Cy.Schubert@komquats.com) Message-Id: <201111262229.pAQMTd4i009201@slippy.cwsent.com> X-Mailer: exmh version 2.7.2 01/07/2005 with nmh-1.3 From: Cy Schubert X-os: FreeBSD X-Sender: cy@cwsent.com X-URL: http://www.komquats.com/ To: Cy Schubert In-Reply-To: Message from Cy Schubert of "Sat, 26 Nov 2011 11:01:34 PST." Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Date: Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:29:39 -0800 Cc: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org Subject: Re: HP 8440p Will Not Bot X-BeenThere: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: Cy Schubert List-Id: Mobile computing with FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 26 Nov 2011 22:29:41 -0000 Cy Schubert writes: > Hi everyone, > > A little background before I describe the problem. > > I'm currently looking to replace my Acer 3623NWxMI laptop. It's been a > reliable machine running FreeBSD 5.something to -CURRENT. It currently has > 8.2 on it with 9.0-CURRENT (not -RC, it's pretty old) and XP on separate > partitions/slices, and a spare FreeBSD partition (was 7.4 but currently > unused). No problems here. (A 250 GB disk is pretty small when you have > four operating systems on it.) > > I've managed to extend the life of this Acer 3623 through numerous disk, > memory, and CPU upgrades, and have disassembled it a few times to clean out > the heat sink of dust, dog and cat fur. But the old laptop's time has come > and it's time to look for a replacement for this six year old laptop. It's > getting pretty long in the tooth and I need something that supports VT-x or > AMD-V, which the Pentium M does not. > > As I'll be shopping around for a replacement I've cloned my FreeBSD 8.2 > partitions and whatever I need from my ZFS zpool to an external USB drive. > No problems here. I've booted the external drive on my Acer and FreeBSD > works fine. I've been doing this for years as it's my DRP (I use the term > disaster in the broadest sense) recovery solution, as I have other external > USB drives which I've booted my prod server downstairs from to recover the > system disk. I've also used this process to upgrade system disks on my > laptop and my servers downstairs. The process works and this particular > drive boots FreeBSD on my Acer (df -h shows the USB is mounted as root not > the internal IDE drive). All is well here. > > I unplug the USB drive and plug it into an HP elitebook 8440p. It's my > employer's laptop with Windows 7 Enterprise installed on it. The BIOS is > locked down and I don't know the BIOS password. However I can select the > option to boot from USB disk, which it does in the broadest sense of the > word. The problem is that it loads the FreeBSD MBR on the USB drive. It > then loads the FreeBSD stage 2 boot on the USB drive and hangs. > > Act 2: Not to be outsmarted by this HP laptop, I try again. This time when > the stage 2 boot loader spinner displays the boot: prompt, I hit space and > enter > > 0:da(0,a)/boot/loader > > This gets me a little further. It now hangs at Loading > /boot/defaults/loader.conf. > > It may very well be that there is some kind of BIOS setting that might fix > this but since it's not my laptop and since the BIOS is locked down I have > no way to resolve this issue, or it may be that the HP elitebook 8440p just > doesn't work with FreeBSD. Or, there may be something I could do to in my > loader.conf that might bypass this problem. > > Any ideas? > > If I can get it to work and test out FreeBSD 8.2 on this laptop I'll > consider buying one to replace my Acer. > > In the mean time I'll try to boot this USB drive on an Acer 5560G (the > label says 5560-sb410) with a four core AMD A6-3400 processor (1.4-2.3 > GHz), 6 GB of DDR3, 640 GB drive, etc., at a store I walked into yesterday. > The $499 price tag caught my eye. Maybe I'll have better luck there. > > Any and all help would be appreciated. Excuse my replying to myself. I managed to get FreeBSD to boot on the HP. 0:ad(0,a)/boot/kernel/kernel did the trick. I think with access to the BIOS I should be able to change a setting, maybe the SATA setting to IDE instead of AHCI and loader should boot. It sees the NIC and wireless NIC. X has a problem with the display. I think this would be a minor problem. I also tried FreeBSD out on a number of Acer laptops, including the 5560G and a 5745. It didn't see the Acer wireless NIC. I hear it's a newer Atheros chipset. This is more of a problem than what I see with the HP. I recall reading somewhere that somebody managed to get wifi working on an Acer Nplify card. I'm in the process of migrating to 9.0, so I'll give that a try on the USB drive. -- Cheers, Cy Schubert FreeBSD UNIX: Web: http://www.FreeBSD.org The need of the many outweighs the greed of the few.