Installing FreeBSD on the ASUS X205TA...? :)

RedPhoenix

RedPhoenix

And now I have a question to ask... :) I've already got Lubuntu up and running on this thing, which, initially, is "hostile to anything not Windows", according to someone who spoke of running OpenBSD on this Laptop. :) Now, for some context: I initially WAS able to run OpenBSD on this machine, but since 6.2 or so, it wouldn't get past the initial boot screen (where it shows the Drive Available. :) This tells me that I might be able to run FreeBSD on here. :) Also, I was able to get bootia32.efi on a Linux USB to be able to boot, and I noticed that FreeBSD used an x86 Bootloader, if I read the information on my Server right. The Hardware specs are as follows, according to Linux:
Code: 
description: Notebook
    product: X205TA (ASUS-NotebookSKU)
    vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
    version: 1.0
    serial: EANLBC07754842E
    width: 64 bits
    capabilities: smbios-2.7 dmi-2.7 smp vsyscall32
    configuration: boot=normal chassis=notebook family=X sku=ASUS-NotebookSKU uuid=B0BE1300-4E0E-2F33-FFFF-6CFAA732AB0C
  *-core
       description: Motherboard
       product: X205TA
       vendor: ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC.
       physical id: 0
       version: 1.0
       serial: BSN12345678901234567
       slot: MIDDLE
     *-firmware
          description: BIOS
          vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
          physical id: 0
          version: X205TA.212
          date: 09/04/2015
          size: 64KiB
          capacity: 960KiB
          capabilities: pci upgrade shadowing cdboot bootselect socketedrom edd int13floppy1200 int13floppy720 int13floppy2880 int5printscreen int14serial int17printer acpi usb smartbattery biosbootspecification uefi
     *-memory
          description: System Memory
          physical id: a
          slot: System board or motherboard
          size: 2GiB
          capabilities: ecc
          configuration: errordetection=multi-bit-ecc
        *-bank
             description: DIMM DDR3 1333 MHz (0.8 ns)
             product: Array1_PartNumber0
             vendor: A1_Manufacturer0
             physical id: 0
             serial: A1_SerNum0
             slot: A1_DIMM0
             size: 2GiB
             width: 64 bits
             clock: 1333MHz (0.8ns)
     *-cache:0
          description: L1 cache
          physical id: f
          slot: CPU Internal L1
          size: 224KiB
          capacity: 224KiB
          capabilities: internal write-back
          configuration: level=1
     *-cache:1
          description: L2 cache
          physical id: 10
          slot: CPU Internal L2
          size: 1MiB
          capacity: 1MiB
          capabilities: internal write-back unified
          configuration: level=2
     *-cpu
          description: CPU
          product: Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU  Z3735F @ 1.33GHz
          vendor: Intel Corp.
          physical id: 11
          bus info: cpu@0
          version: Intel(R) Atom(TM) CPU Z3735F @ 1.33GHz
          slot: SOCKET 0
          size: 1552MHz
          capacity: 2400MHz
          width: 64 bits
          clock: 83MHz
          capabilities: x86-64 fpu fpu_exception wp vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx rdtscp constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good nopl xtopology tsc_reliable nonstop_tsc cpuid aperfmperf tsc_known_freq pni pclmulqdq dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm sse4_1 sse4_2 movbe popcnt tsc_deadline_timer aes rdrand lahf_lm 3dnowprefetch epb pti tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid tsc_adjust smep erms dtherm ida arat cpufreq
          configuration: cores=4 enabledcores=4 threads=4
     *-pci
          description: Host bridge
          product: Atom Processor Z36xxx/Z37xxx Series SoC Transaction Register
          vendor: Intel Corporation
          physical id: 100
          bus info: pci@0000:00:00.0
          version: 0f
          width: 32 bits
          clock: 33MHz
          configuration: driver=iosf_mbi_pci
          resources: irq:0
        *-display
             description: VGA compatible controller
             product: Atom Processor Z36xxx/Z37xxx Series Graphics & Display
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 2
             bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0
             version: 0f
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm msi vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
             configuration: driver=i915 latency=0
             resources: irq:32 memory:90000000-903fffff memory:80000000-8fffffff ioport:1000(size=8) memory:c0000-dffff
        *-generic
             description: Encryption controller
             product: Atom Processor Z36xxx/Z37xxx Series Trusted Execution Engine
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1a
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1a.0
             version: 0f
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm msi bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=mei_txe latency=0
             resources: irq:36 memory:90700000-907fffff memory:90600000-906fffff
        *-usb
             description: USB controller
             product: Atom Processor Z36xxx/Z37xxx Series USB EHCI
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1d
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1d.0
             version: 0f
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: pm debug ehci bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=ehci-pci latency=0
             resources: irq:30 memory:9080d000-9080d3ff
           *-usbhost
                product: EHCI Host Controller
                vendor: Linux 4.16.0-sound-31 ehci_hcd
                physical id: 1
                bus info: usb@1
                logical name: usb1
                version: 4.16
                capabilities: usb-2.00
                configuration: driver=hub slots=8 speed=480Mbit/s
              *-usb
                   description: USB hub
                   vendor: Intel Corp.
                   physical id: 1
                   bus info: usb@1:1
                   version: 0.15
                   capabilities: usb-2.00
                   configuration: driver=hub slots=4 speed=480Mbit/s
                 *-usb:0
                      description: Video
                      product: USB Camera
                      vendor: 04081-00092400E9669X
                      physical id: 1
                      bus info: usb@1:1.1
                      version: 0.12
                      serial: 200901010001
                      capabilities: usb-2.00
                      configuration: driver=uvcvideo maxpower=500mA speed=480Mbit/s
                 *-usb:1
                      description: USB hub
                      product: USB2.0 Hub
                      vendor: Genesys Logic, Inc.
                      physical id: 2
                      bus info: usb@1:1.2
                      version: 32.98
                      capabilities: usb-2.00
                      configuration: driver=hub maxpower=100mA slots=4 speed=480Mbit/s
        *-isa
             description: ISA bridge
             product: Atom Processor Z36xxx/Z37xxx Series Power Control Unit
             vendor: Intel Corporation
             physical id: 1f
             bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.0
             version: 0f
             width: 32 bits
             clock: 33MHz
             capabilities: isa bus_master cap_list
             configuration: driver=lpc_ich latency=0
             resources: irq:0
  *-network
       description: Wireless interface
       physical id: 1
       logical name: wlan0
       serial: 6c:fa:a7:32:ab:0c
       capabilities: ethernet physical wireless
       configuration: broadcast=yes driver=brcmfmac driverversion=6.10.190.55 firmware=01-6cb01dcc ip=192.168.1.12 multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11

Now, if I were able to put FreeBSD on here, I'd be able to run the appropriate Command(s) to get the relevant info. I hope this helps. :) Thank you guys, and, it's good to be back. :)
 
This is going to be a tough one. You have a Z3735F CPU I assume and that needs 32bit EFI like some of the other Z3735's.
I believe all FreeBSD has is a 64bit EFI implementation.
I sounds like you are already familiar with the issue using a Linux 32 bit EFI loader previously.
Can't hurt to try the FreeBSD 32 Bit Memstick installer. Just see if it boots at all.
The installer has a LiveCD mode you can pick to get to a command prompt, if it boots..
 
Phishfry said:
This is going to be a tough one. You have a Z3735F CPU I assume and that needs 32bit EFI like some of the other Z3735's.
I believe all FreeBSD has is a 64bit EFI implementation.
I sounds like you are already familiar with the issue using a Linux 32 bit EFI loader previously.
Can't hurt to try the FreeBSD 32 Bit Memstick installer. Just see if it boots at all.
The installer has a LiveCD mode you can pick to get to a command prompt, if it boots..
Click to expand...
Thanks for the help. :) I'll give it a go... :) Does it support UEFI? :)
 
Phishfry said:
This is going to be a tough one. You have a Z3735F CPU I assume and that needs 32bit EFI like some of the other Z3735's.
I believe all FreeBSD has is a 64bit EFI implementation.
I sounds like you are already familiar with the issue using a Linux 32 bit EFI loader previously.
Can't hurt to try the FreeBSD 32 Bit Memstick installer. Just see if it boots at all.
The installer has a LiveCD mode you can pick to get to a command prompt, if it boots..
Click to expand...
Nope... :\ No go. :( It wouldn't even RECOGNIZE the USB... :(
 
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I see that efibootmgr is now in -CURRENT and that might be what you need.
Really can't find much about it except the commit.

In theory something like this would be used:
efibootmgr -c -l \\boot\\EFI\bootia32.efi -L ia32
This would write an entry to the boards BIOS to tell it where to boot from.

Problem is as you have found out is you can't boot to run this command.
So you might be able to custom modify your USB memstick 32bit FreeBSD installer and add bootia32.efi file to your FreeBSD memstick in the /boot/EFI directory.

BAHHH, that won't work as 32bit FreeBSD has no EFI boot support...
There has to be a way I just have not figured it out yet.
 
Phishfry said:
I see that efibootmgr is now in -CURRENT and that might be what you need.
Really can't find much about it except the commit.

In theory something like this would be used:
efibootmgr -c -l \\boot\\EFI\bootia32.efi -L ia32
This would write an entry to the boards BIOS to tell it where to boot from.

Problem is as you have found out is you can't boot to run this command.
So you might be able to custom modify your USB memstick 32bit FreeBSD installer and add bootia32.efi file to your FreeBSD memstick in the /boot/EFI directory.

BAHHH, that won't work as 32bit FreeBSD has no EFI boot support...
There has to be a way I just have not figured it out yet.
Click to expand...
Well, I already have a Desktop with FreeBSD installed, so accessing the UFS on the USB shouldn't be an issue... :) But, since this thing can run Linux, which has some similarities to FreeBSD, something tells me I should be able to do this... :) I'll try downloading the 64-bit FreeBSD .img File, extract it's contents to the Hard Drive, and put them, and the bootia32.efi File, onto the USB... Here's to Luck! :)
 
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