From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Dec 14 14:27:23 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6252D16A418 for ; Fri, 14 Dec 2007 14:27:23 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from joines@okstate.edu) Received: from lsmtp.okstate.edu (lsmtp.okstate.edu [139.78.101.183]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 154A813C45D for ; Fri, 14 Dec 2007 14:27:22 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from joines@okstate.edu) Received: from stwexhub02.ad.okstate.edu (stwexhub02.it.okstate.edu) by lsmtp.okstate.edu (LSMTP for Windows NT v1.1b) with SMTP id <0.00CB5B48@lsmtp.okstate.edu>; Fri, 14 Dec 2007 8:27:22 -0600 Received: from EXS1.ad.okstate.edu (139.78.102.192) by stwexhub02.ad.okstate.edu (139.78.102.251) with Microsoft SMTP Server id 8.0.751.0; Fri, 14 Dec 2007 08:27:21 -0600 Received: from smtp.ad.okstate.edu ([139.78.133.2]) by EXS1.ad.okstate.edu with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.3959); Fri, 14 Dec 2007 08:27:21 -0600 Received: from [139.78.110.83] ([139.78.110.83]) by smtp.ad.okstate.edu with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.3959); Fri, 14 Dec 2007 08:27:21 -0600 Resent-From: Jason Joines Resent-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Resent-Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 08:27:22 -0600 Resent-Message-ID: <476292CA.3070505@okstate.edu> Resent-User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686 (x86_64); en-US; rv:1.8.1.6) Gecko/20070728 Thunderbird/2.0.0.6 Received: from exfe02.ad.okstate.edu ([139.78.102.185]) by EXE2.ad.okstate.edu with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.3959); Thu, 13 Dec 2007 19:39:12 -0600 Received: from mailhost01.okstate.edu ([139.78.133.4]) by exfe02.ad.okstate.edu with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.3959); Thu, 13 Dec 2007 19:39:12 -0600 Received: from merlin.alerce.com (merlin.alerce.com [64.62.142.94]) by mailhost02.okstate.edu (8.13.8/8.13.8) with ESMTP id lBE1dBp2000832 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NOT) for ; Thu, 13 Dec 2007 19:39:12 -0600 Received: from merlin.alerce.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by merlin.alerce.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5B56733C64 for ; Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:39:11 -0800 (PST) Received: from postfix.alerce.com (w092.z064001164.sjc-ca.dsl.cnc.net [64.1.164.92]) (using TLSv1 with cipher DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (Client CN "satchel.alerce.com", Issuer "alerce.com" (verified OK)) by merlin.alerce.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2183E33C5D for ; Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:39:11 -0800 (PST) Received: by postfix.alerce.com (Postfix, from userid 501) id 311261B28CB; Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:39:10 -0800 (PST) From: George Hartzell MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Message-ID: <18273.57022.36466.753266@almost.alerce.com> Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:39:10 -0800 To: Jason Joines In-Reply-To: References: <18272.27362.622233.540876@almost.alerce.com> X-Mailer: VM 7.19 under Emacs 22.1.50.1 X-Virus-Scanned: ClamAV using ClamSMTP X-Proofpoint-Virus-Version: vendor=fsecure engine=4.65.5502:2.3.11, 1.2.37, 4.0.164 definitions=2007-12-13_10:2007-12-13, 2007-12-14, 2007-12-14 signatures=0 X-Proofpoint-Spam-Details: rule=quarantine_notspam policy=quarantine score=0 spamscore=0 ipscore=0 phishscore=0 bulkscore=0 adultscore=0 classifier=spam adjust=0 reason=mlx engine=3.1.0-0708230000 definitions=main-0712130194 X-OriginalArrivalTime: 14 Dec 2007 01:39:12.0563 (UTC) FILETIME=[21084830:01C83DF2] Cc: Subject: Re: will freebsd run on apple intel xserve X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list Reply-To: hartzell@alerce.com List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2007 14:27:23 -0000 Jason Joines writes: > George Hartzell wrote: > > Jason Joines writes: > > > I'm a Linux guy who has inherited some apple xserve boxes. > > > Surprisingly I've discovered that I really hate os x. For the intel > > > xserve boxes, Linux isn't an option. The CPUs are amd64 architecture. > > > The EFI capable Linux bootloader, has had beta support for amd64 since > > > July. However, the Linux kernel just got support to boot via EFI and > > > amd64 in a release candidate patch this month. It'll probably be quite > > > a while before a distribution has an installer with what I need. > > > > > > At any rate, I've always wanted to try one of the BSDs. Will > > > FreeBSD install on an apple intel xserve? If not does anyone know if > > > another BSD or some other open source NIX will work? > > > > I can't give you a direct answer, but I was running 6-STABLE on an > > 8-way mac pro up until a couple of weeks ago (I had to give it back to > > it's owners and I'm waiting until after the next wwdc to buy my > > own...). > > > > I used bootcamp to partition a spare disk, then just booted from a > > freebsd cd and installed onto that partition. I ended up using refit > > as a boot doohickey (initially from an refit cd, eventually taking a > > chance on installing it onto the disk itself). > > > > There wasn't anything too surprising. > > > > g. > > > > > > I didn't even know there was such a thing as an 8-way mac pro. > Unfortunately that probably doesn't mean much as far as the xserve boxes > go, at least not the intel xserve boxes. I'm running Linux on an intel > imac and an intel powerbook pro, and others are on the intel powerbook > and it runs on all the PowerPC stuff. However, all the intel boxes just > mentioned have BIOS emulation. The intel xserve boxes do not, boot camp > won't run on them and isn't supported on them. Well, I'm pretty fuzzy about what's hidden inside the various intel macs, but if will let you partition a disk from an os x install cd, will boot a freebsd boot disk from the cd (so you can do the install), and will boot from an refit cd (or via refit installed into the efi [sic?] boot area) then it'll go. FreeBSD doesn't need much from the bios, does it? If you send me an intel xserve, I'll take a shot at it.... :) g.