Solved Can´t boot FreeBSD 10 amd64 DVD on a MacBook Pro 9,1.

N

NaWi

Hello !

First of all, I know how to boot from a disc (EFI is shown as EFI64). A Knoppix 7.2 and the latest Arch Linux image worked without problems.

I downloaded the FreeBSD-10.0-RELEASE-amd64-dvd1.iso image and installed it using VirtualBox under Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks. Worked without problems (including Xorg and the guest add ons). So, I thought to try to boot from the DVD (to try to get a dual boot system). All I got was

Code: 
CD Loader 1.2

Building the boot loader arguments
Looking up /BOOT/LOADER... Found
Relocating the loader and the BTX
Starting the BTX loader

BTX loader 1.00  BTX version is 1.02
Consoles: internal video/keyboard
BIOS drive C: is disk0
BIOS 568kB/523264kB available memory

FreeBSD/x86 bootstrap loader, Revision 1.1
(root@snap.freebsd.org, Thu Jan 16 22:18:05 UTC 2014)
/
can´t load ´kernel´

Type ´?´ for a list of commands, ´help´ for more detailed help.
OK

Nothing freezes or hangs, so I tried the lsdev command and got.

Code: 
lsdev
cd devices:
disk devices:
    disk0:   BIOS drive C:
      disk0p1: EFI
      disk0p2: Unknown
      disk0p3: Unknown
pxe devices:
OK

My main question is now, how can I boot from the DVD to install FreeBSD. I know that VirtualBox is more simple - but I like to try the other way without to buy own hardware to play around with.

Thanks for any help or any ideas.
 
NaWi said:
Nothing freezes or hangs, so I tried the lsdev command and got.
Code: 
lsdev
cd devices:
disk devices:
    disk0:   BIOS drive C:
      disk0p1: EFI
      disk0p2: Unknown
      disk0p3: Unknown
pxe devices:
OK
Click to expand...
Why is there no DVD device listed under "cd devices"? It seems that your DVD device has disappeared? Have you tried burning another DVD? Maybe the DVD is bad or the ISO image is corrupted? Not much I know, but it's all I can think of at the moment. I've seen the 'can't load kernel' error before, but only after a FreeBSD installation; never on booting from DVD.

The MacBook Pro is mid-2012, right?
 
Hello !

Sorry for my late replay - played around with Linux Distributions / PCBSD and don´t checked the forum.
Thanks for your answer.

Why is there no DVD device listed under "cd devices"? It seems that your DVD device has disappeared?
Click to expand...

Thats one of the big questions. What I find out through trying around is, that it looks as if it is a problem of Apples EFI64. The loader is launched from the inserted DVD but the drive is simple not there. I tried a PCBSD which boots without problems, does a correct GPT partitioning and let me boot from the internal HD after installing. PCBSD provides on the DVD 3 partitions (don´t know whether it is the correct word for it), one called Windows and 2 called EFI boot.

Have you tried burning another DVD? Maybe the DVD is bad or the ISO image is corrupted?
Click to expand...

The ISO - based on the download - should be ok. I tried the installation before under VirtualBox and 10.9 Mavericks on the same machine without problems. The same disc worked on a (black) MacBook from 2008 - till it hangs at the ACPI point. Ok, thats another point but shows that the disc basically work.

Not much I know, but it's all I can think of at the moment. I've seen the 'can't load kernel' error before, but only after a FreeBSD installation; never on booting from DVD.
Click to expand...

Yep, I also read that posting. On this machine it is also not possible to boot from a USB drive using dd or UNetBootIn.

The MacBook Pro is mid-2012, right?
Click to expand...

Yes, the one before the first MacBook Pro with Retina display comes out.

I can boot and install PCBSD. Is it possible to run the FreeBSD installer from a installed PCBSD - to install FreeBSD on another partition on the same hard disk ? If yes, is there a tutorial or are there some tips about that (not the best way, but as long as it worked). I tried PCBSD and don´t want to keep it because many things doesn´t work as they should (wifi, very slow keyboard in terminal) and the first try remembered me on the time of SuSE Linux at the time as there where no open in front of the name. So if I had to configure many things, then I could do it also from scratch (so I learn many things about it).

It is not meaned bad and I know that FreeBSD is no mainstream product like Ubuntu but Ubuntu 13.10 showed me, that my hardware work (out of the box) and Unity (or better compiz) could be a good reason to switch from Mac OS X to FreeBSD. Even it works, I prefer FreeBSD over Linux ... and in the meantime also over Mavericks.
 
NaWi said:
Is it possible to run the FreeBSD installer from a installed PCBSD - to install FreeBSD on another partition on the same hard disk ? If yes, is there a tutorial or are there some tips about that (not the best way, but as long as it worked).
Click to expand...
In theory I would say yes. Thinking out loud, from a booted PC-BSD system, you could download the FreeBSD dvd1.iso file and then mount the dvd1.iso in PC-BSD. Then cd into the mounted dvd1.iso and start bsdinstall(8).

I just tried this on my system and after mounting the dvd1.iso, I was able to start bsdinstall(8) and got as far as the disk partitioning step without any problems. When you get to the disk partitioning step, as long as you have enough disk space available and "share" the disk, you should be okay. I am not aware of any tutorial for this, but will do some research.

To mount an ISO file:
Code: 
mount_cd9660 /dev/`mdconfig -f /media/iso/FreeBSD-10.0-RELEASE-amd64-dvd1.iso` /mnt     (NB. those are backticks)
cd /mnt
Of course, it goes without saying, if you try this, save anything you don't want to lose beforehand.
 
That helped for the moment - thanks, I will try it out.

In the meantime I downloaded the CD images instead of the DVD in amd64 and i386 version. Both are the same, on the older MacBook they boot booth but not on the newer one.

What I also saw is, that Arch Linux provides on the install DVD a UEFI shell in version 1 and 2. Version 2 ends with an error and version 1 worked - I got a Shell> prompt but don´t know how to change Apples setting in a save way.

Of course, it goes without saying, if you try this, save anything you don't want to lose beforehand.
Click to expand...

Yes, done that before - I used the whole internal disc to play around. If it works I will keep a Lion installation as dualboot to move Apple content to FreeBSD.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The FreeBSD 10.1 (in my case the RC 3) disc and DVD with UEFI worked (including USB tethering).
 
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