Can Mac OS X be removed and completely replaced by freeBSD

Thank you, I dowloaded it from Nvidia to the new iMac just to see what the number is. I will delete it soon. Also, I was so frustrated last night that I again re-installed freeBSD.
I reinstalled Xorg following the handbook, and got a long list of messages about freetype, perl, python, etc. before the shell prompt showed up.
In keeping with the handbook, is this something that I really need to do:
If Xorg has been used on this computer before, move or remove any existing configuration files:
# mv /etc/X11/xorg.conf ~/xorg.conf.etc
# mv /usr/local/etc/X11/xorg.conf ~/xorg.conf.localetc

I did find them in the /etc . . . and /usr . . . path. I suppose that the Xorg installed them there, seeing as how I am using a fresh reinstall of freebsd.
I don't know what moving them does, so I held off for now.
my account is already wheel, so I did not mess with that either.

So I went to the next step, startx, and I got this:
auth: file /home/me/.serverauth.2473 does not exist.
the I was presented with a screen full of error reports and exited back to the shell prompt.
 
copy default xinitrc to ~/.xinitrx
Thank you, I dowloaded it from Nvidia to the new iMac just to see what the number is. I will delete it soon. Also, I was so frustrated last night that I again re-installed freeBSD.
I reinstalled Xorg following the handbook, and got a long list of messages about freetype, perl, python, etc. before the shell prompt showed up.
In keeping with the handbook, is this something that I really need to do:
If Xorg has been used on this computer before, move or remove any existing configuration files:
# mv /etc/X11/xorg.conf ~/xorg.conf.etc
# mv /usr/local/etc/X11/xorg.conf ~/xorg.conf.localetc

I did find them in the /etc . . . and /usr . . . path. I suppose that the Xorg installed them there, seeing as how I am using a fresh reinstall of freebsd.
I don't know what moving them does, so I held off for now.
my account is already wheel, so I did not mess with that either.

So I went to the next step, startx, and I got this:
auth: file /home/me/.serverauth.2473 does not exist.
the I was presented with a screen full of error reports and exited back to the shell prompt.
You need to copy the default xinitrc to ~/.xinitrx

Bash:
cp /usr/local/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc ~/.xinitrc

and then edit ~/.xinitrx and set i3wm to start when you run startx

use whatever text editor you want to edit the file for example nano

Bash:
nano ~/.xinitrc

add the following code to the end the ~/.xinitrc file and save

Bash:
exec /usr/local/bin/i3

then after you log in run startx and it will start i3wm
 
copy default xinitrc to ~/.xinitrx

You need to copy the default xinitrc to ~/.xinitrx

Bash:
cp /usr/local/etc/X11/xinit/[B]xinitrc[/B] ~/[B].xinitrc[/B]

and then edit ~/.xinitrx and set i3wm to start when you run startx

use whatever text editor you want to edit the file for example nano

Bash:
nano ~/[B].xinitrc[/B]

add the following code to the end the ~/.xinitrc file and save

Bash:
exec /usr/local/bin/i3

then after you log in run startx and it will start i3wm

===============================================
Thank you
I have not reinstalled i3 yet, I was just hoping to get the x stuff working as per the handbook and eliminate the server errors. The handbook said...
"The TWM window manager is included by default. It is started when Xorg starts:"

I did not find TWM using locate, the case sensitive thing got me unlike the macOS, that. Found it using twm
also,
"You need to copy the default xinitrc to ~/.xinitrx"
was that a typo or do I need a xinitrx file rather than the xinitrc file (not bird dogging you, just want to make sure)?

I had the xinitrc (not as a dot file: does that matter?) in the home directory when I tried the start command earlier and got that server error stuff.
 
"The TWM window manager is included by default. It is started when Xorg starts:"
Just for reference it is not included in xorg minimal.
Firing it up is the same as shown above for i3.
You need to create a .xinitrc file and exec /usr/local/bin/twm or i3 or whatever Window Manager you want.
First though you must setup a display and install drivers.
If you want bare basic we have x11-drivers/xf86-video-scfb.
This is a basic framebuffer. No acceleration. Works with most anything.
https://wiki.freebsd.org/GraphicsOld/SCFB
This will get your feet wet on what is required to get a display driver working.

Set up a display driver first then fire up a Window Manager.

So I went to the next step, startx, and I got this:
auth: file /home/me/.serverauth.2473 does not exist.
the I was presented with a screen full of error reports and exited back to the shell prompt.
If you are going the Window Manager route you need to read up on PolicyKit. Your Desktop Environments handle this for you.
Using a Window Manager you must fire it up yourself.

I think if your new to Xorg you need to stick to Desktop Envirnoments. Choose from Xfce, Mate, Gnome or KDE.
 
Just for reference it is not included in xorg minimal.
Firing it up is the same as shown above for i3.
You need to create a .xinitrc file and exec /usr/local/bin/twm or i3 or whatever Window Manager you want.
First though you must setup a display and install drivers.
If you want bare basic we have x11-drivers/xf86-video-scfb.
This is a basic framebuffer. No acceleration. Works with most anything.
https://wiki.freebsd.org/GraphicsOld/SCFB
This will get your feet wet on what is required to get a display driver working.

Set up a display driver first then fire up a Window Manager.


If you are going the Window Manager route you need to read up on PolicyKit. Your Desktop Environments handle this for you.
Using a Window Manager you must fire it up yourself.

I think if your new to Xorg you need to stick to Desktop Envirnoments. Choose from Xfce, Mate, Gnome or KDE.


Thank you for your reply.
I installed the Nvidia driver. Right now, I would like to not get the fatal server errors when entering the startx command. On the forum, one person said that they were getting errors, until he used pkg remove Xorg, and used the make install clean to reinstall it. For some reason, pkg install was missing or messing something up. I am going to give that a try next just to see what happens.
 
Hi Mate

I have a complete guide on installing Freebsd on mac hardware

When you install Freebsd 12 set the partition scheme to bios+uefi,
that will make Freebsd auto boot after 2 or 3 seconds,
otherwise it will fall back to legacy boot and take 30 seconds for the boot menu to show up

My freebsd notes from the last 18 months are on github,
if they are of any use

Let me know if you need help getting Freebsd set up on a mac
Could you please update this link? It is currently a 404.
 
I occasionally run FreeBSD on my iMac 2008 (it's still intel). Works fine. Why bother with DVD? I use memstick on the USB. Of course, I'm going off memory here, so reality may vary :)
 
this isnt the first time ive seen the newer mac os operating systems not handling the iso correctly or dvd burning
its an issue undisclosed with like- around 2017is models: i used the memstick option and itll boot just fine... i wouldnt know how
to get it to boot however for example : you need the DVD for the MAC EFI to recognize it no?:
i would burn the dvd using roxio toast titanium
 
'sade' is your 'gpart' , and your gparted partition editor for example: ada0 is my UNIX Disk which was formatted as Apple Partition Map: is now GPT with a 260 EFI Partition ada0p1 and 916gb UFS freebsd-root and 16gb ada0p3 freebsd-swap partition:
it should boot normally: and these are the only areas ive seen so far that have problems: graphics, wifi, sound:
however; theres a usb tethering driver, a vesa/efifb driver , and probably a way to Proxy off the Sound to a Sound-Server:
 
… problems: graphics, wifi, sound: …

Which version of FreeBSD, exactly?

Packages of ports from quarterly, or latest?

freebsd--version -kru ; uname -aKU

pkg -vv | grep -e url -e enabled -e priority

(I encountered a problem during late testing of FreeBSD 13.3-RC1 on a 17" MacBook Pro, too soon to tell what's going on. Probably not Mac-specific.)
 
Which version of FreeBSD, exactly?

Packages of ports from quarterly, or latest?

freebsd--version -kru ; uname -aKU

pkg -vv | grep -e url -e enabled -e priority

(I encountered a problem during late testing of FreeBSD 13.3-RC1 on a 17" MacBook Pro, too soon to tell what's going on. Probably not Mac-specific.)
Ive set up a Version 14 iMac 2017 1st Generation with a Cirrus Logic CS8xxx Codec and Broadcom-AC-Wireless-Bluetooth-Airport-Card: i've gotten sound to 'show me the mixer' is as broadly defined as alsas, neither bsd nor the linux kernel has a driver for it... 8407??? Cirrus logic 8407???: and the applications all see a v.0 extension of its /dev/dsp counterpart but vmixer is the only one that works and doesnt have sound but it shows the Equilizer Playing, and the applications in dbsmixer or its volume slider are stuck at 0:
and have a TP-Link Archer t2u or t20 plus wifi usb antenna...
 
the Macintosh should be Ejecting the DVD from what i thought i saw :
there was literally no explanation he even had a restore dvd
 
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