Date: Fri, 8 Mar 2013 15:43:28 -0800 From: Doug Hardie <bc979@lafn.org> To: John Mehr <jcm@visi.com> Cc: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Sanity Check on Mac Mini Message-ID: <428C87E0-7CF4-4664-9EF2-8CD582927AAB@lafn.org> In-Reply-To: <web-11073367@mailback3.g2host.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> <71F173FA-CB9C-43B4-A702-ABA82268EA83@lafn.org> <web-11073367@mailback3.g2host.com>
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On 7 March 2013, at 17:00, John Mehr <jcm@visi.com> wrote: >=20 >=20 >=20 > On Thu, 7 Mar 2013 14:18:23 -0800 > Doug Hardie <bc979@lafn.org> wrote: >> 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: >>> On 7 March 2013, at 06:42, Richard Kuhns <rjk@wintek.com> wrote: >>> > 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. >>> 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? >>> I would generally recommend using the amd64 release, but it may not = get your system to boot. 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. >>> 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. >>> 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? >=20 > Hello, >=20 > If you still have a drive with OS X on it, you may have some luck with = OS X's bless command: >=20 > = https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/Darwin/Reference/Ma= npages/man8/bless.8.html >=20 > I got a late 2012 mac mini to boot FreeBSD 9.1 (AMD64) from a hard = drive using 'bless' (unfortunately I don't remember the exact command = line parameters I used). If you're looking to dual boot, the only luck = I had (without resorting to using third party software like rEFIt) was = to put the OS's on different drives and install FreeBSD using MBR on the = second drive. I have investigated the bless command and nothing I find on google gives = me any good ideal on what folder/file to bless. I am wondering if just = using the volume command and ignoring folder and file would work?
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