[Solved] FreeBSD on my laptop

Solarplight · #1 January 20th, 2010, 03:02

Hello

I just got a copy of BSD magazine, just to learn a little about the OS, and it came with a copy of FreeBSD 8.0 RC1. Now that i have a disk I am thinking about loading it up on this laptop, but I am wondering how well it might run on my system. My laptop is, yes it's old, an IBM T43 Thinkpad. I currently run Ubuntu Jaunty Jackalope. I've run Ubuntu for a while now after a migration from Red Hat/Fedora systems, and feel like trying something else. So I am wondering if it's even possible, and how challenging it might be, I do love a challenge though.

fronclynne · #2 January 20th, 2010, 03:26

This'll probably get move to the laptop/mobile forum, (& do browse that), but also check out ThinkWiki and the ever popular & lovely FreeBSD Laptop Compatibility List for hints & such.

FreeBSD should be pretty easy on an older thinkpad. The hardware is quite standardised, and tends to be excellent quality. There are a couple of caveats: wireless networking is much less mouse & menu oriented than Ubuntu, you'll probably have to get used to commands like # ifconfig wlan0 list scan and editing /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf; and flash and java tend to be a bit more involved as well.

Good luck.

Solarplight · #3 January 20th, 2010, 04:39

Sorry about not finding a better forum first.

Thanks for the links, It looks it shoud be easy. I will be poppin the disk in tonight.

I am familiar with ifconfig and iwconfig. I do do quite a bit via terminal and am growing to hate the word 'sudo', part of the reason I started thinking about other os's.

Solarplight · #4 January 20th, 2010, 04:49

I had also run RedHat9 for a couple of years, on another system, when I first got the RedHat Bible. Than I ran the first fedora core on that comp for a while when I got, 'Beginners Guide To Linux Programming' I think, I seem to get my os's from publications. Than I inherited this computer, and some homebies were hippin up Ubuntu at the time.

klanger · #5 January 20th, 2010, 10:41

Quote:

I just got a copy of BSD magazine, just to learn a little about the OS, and it came with a copy of FreeBSD 8.0 RC1. Now that i have a disk I am thinking about loading it up on this laptop, but I am wondering how well it might run on my system.

FBSD, well adjusted to your machine, is much much better than Ubuntu for a low-power-CPU laptop (I'm running it on eeepc 900MHz). It runs faster, it feels faster, but there is poor support for webcams (bad news if you use skype).

I think /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf is very handy if you don't use your laptop all the time in free hotspots area.
Once the input is done, wifi will connect automatically to active and working access point (one from the list)!

klanger · #6 January 20th, 2010, 10:43

Also suspend is tricky

(sorry for multi-posting) i can't edit post (2 post left to 10 post limit)

aragon · #7 January 20th, 2010, 10:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by klanger

but there is poor support for webcams (bad news if you use skype).

Possibly not for much longer:

http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/f...ry/010684.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by klanger

Also suspend is tricky

FWIW, it's tricky in linux too.

klanger · #8 January 21st, 2010, 08:55

The best suspend support I've seen in open source OS, was the one in Android (running on eeepc, even live!).

It is not a problem for me, so is the lack of webcam support - but it's good to know that FBSD laptop support is getting better&better

Solarplight · #9 January 23rd, 2010, 08:00

Thanks for all the input. Incase anyone was wondering, I am currently posting from my t43 running freebsd 7.2-RELEASE, and yes klanger, it is much faster. I had some troubles with 8.0-RELEASE and reinstalled via ftp to 7.2-REALEASE and with some fine tunning things are running well. I've learned a bit just getting this set up, and see I have a bit more to learn, but thats what lifes for right, learning.

Solarplight · #10 January 23rd, 2010, 10:23

Ok, One more question. My wireless works fine with /etc/wpa_supplicant.conf, but 'ifconfig iwi0 up scan' seems to do nothing. What could be my problem here, is the output directed somewhere other than the screen? Is there a better tool for scanning for networks?

morbit · #11 January 23rd, 2010, 11:22

Code:

# ifconfig wlan0 create wlandev iwi0
# ifconfig wlan0 up 
# ifconfig wlan0 scan list  

OR

# ifconfig wlan0 create wlandev iwi0 wlanmode monitor
# airodump-ng wlan0

* /usr/ports/net-mgmt/aircrack-ng

____________________________________

Above tips are for 8.X+, on earlier versions there's no wlan layer.

Solarplight · #12 January 23rd, 2010, 17:35

As far as i can tell, you can't clone iwi on 7.x, but thanks for the try. I got it working though, I simply didn't have iwi_monitor loaded. Thanks about the aircrack tip, hadn't looked for it in the ports yet, now I don't have to.

morbit · #13 January 23rd, 2010, 17:51

vlan!=wlan, but yes, as I indicated my tips were for 8.

Solarplight · #14 January 23rd, 2010, 18:32

Well, anywho, thanks for the help. My system is running great now, and faster than ever before. I'm lovin freebsd. All I have left to do now is some emacs config, and I'll be set.

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