Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2016 23:26:43 -0600 (MDT) From: Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com> To: "Ronald F. Guilmette" <rfg@tristatelogic.com> Cc: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Small suggestion/question about The Handbook (Sec 2.3.1) Message-ID: <alpine.BSF.2.20.1603312259520.97764@wonkity.com> In-Reply-To: <69892.1459449754@server1.tristatelogic.com> References: <69892.1459449754@server1.tristatelogic.com>
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On Thu, 31 Mar 2016, Ronald F. Guilmette wrote: > > I only look at the docs (e.g. the Handbook) infrequently, e.g. > when I need to refresh my memory about what image(s) I should > be downloading for a new build. > > Doing that, just the other day, and then looking at the sets > of images actually available from the FTP sites, I realized that > I've never fully understiood when one should be using one of the > *-uefi-* release images. (So far, I've never had to use one > myself.) > > So anyway, might it be a Good Idea to include some brief verbage > explaining why and when one should be using one of the *-ueui-* > images on this page in the handbook? > > https://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/bsdinstall-pre.html There are several issues that make this potentially complicated to explain to the end user. First, how can the user tell if they need UEFI? For a standard, it is remarkably loose. The vendors won't tell the users, there are no tell-tale identification marks shown during boot. The setup screens aren't standardized. At present, only 64-bit UEFI computers (the great majority) will work with FreeBSD uefi images. And they will only boot into a 64-bit version of FreeBSD. As far as I know, the uefi images will actually also boot on a BIOS computer, so that eases a restriction. And there is the issue of disabling secure boot. And most (but not all) UEFI computers are capable of legacy booting a normal BIOS-type disk. Provided you figure out how to enable that. "CSM" (compatibility support mode) is a standard term, but it is not always used. The short version: Normal images are used to install FreeBSD on a BIOS computer or a computer with UEFI "CSM" enabled. Installing in UEFI mode requires a uefi image. That's not hard to include, but will it help the user to decide which image to download?
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