Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:39:10 -0800 From: George Hartzell <hartzell@alerce.com> To: Jason Joines <joines@okstate.edu> Subject: Re: will freebsd run on apple intel xserve Message-ID: <18273.57022.36466.753266@almost.alerce.com> Resent-Message-ID: <476292CA.3070505@okstate.edu> In-Reply-To: <fjsdme$r7h$1@ger.gmane.org> References: <fjoucv$evr$1@ger.gmane.org> <18272.27362.622233.540876@almost.alerce.com> <fjsdme$r7h$1@ger.gmane.org>
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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.
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