Sony Vaio VGN-P530H/Q FreeBSD Install

z3R0 · Mar 28, 2010

I just pick up a Sony Vaio VGN-P530H at a great price and hopefully it will be arriving soon, but in the mean time I'm wondering if anyone has managed to install FreeBSD on it and if perhaps they could post anything that they have found useful in installing it on the P series.

Any driver issues etc...

I might look into installing PC-BSD. Oh, and does anyone know of a FreeBSD distro similar to Backtrack Linux?

Thanks!

z3R0 · Mar 30, 2010

Grr... the GMA500 driver might be a problem. Would the Linux driver work under the linux compatibility layer?

oliverh · Mar 30, 2010

z3R0 said:
Grr... the GMA500 driver might be a problem. Would the Linux driver work under the linux compatibility layer?

AFAIK they layer isn't able for such complex task, furthermore X F10 is too old for any such ambitions.

vermaden · Mar 30, 2010

z3R0 said:
anything that they have found useful in installing it on the P series.

It uses Atom Z series which means, that You will have to use VESA for display (no open source driver for GMA 500 PowerVR graphics), which means no native resolution, dunno about wireless or network.

z3R0 said:
Oh, and does anyone know of a FreeBSD distro similar to Backtrack Linux?

Frenzy mate.

z3R0 · Apr 9, 2010

Frenzy BSD looks great!

As for the VESA driver is that built into FreeBSD? I can work with the terminal alone, I don't need anything special.
I've heard of Mac OS X running on the Sony Vaio P, I wonder what video driver is being used. It might work with FreeBSD, or at least a generic driver.

For wireless I figure a compatible usb network adapter should work, I just need to find a compatible one. Know of any?

Thanks,

z3r0

vermaden said:
It uses Atom Z series which means, that You will have to use VESA for display (no open source driver for GMA 500 PowerVR graphics), which means no native resolution, dunno about wireless or network.

Frenzy mate.

z3R0 · Apr 9, 2010

Wish I would have checked the specs, before purchasing. It was a really good deal at first glance. Only if the Poulsbo drivers would work or perhaps if a wrapper existed.

z3r0

oliverh said:
AFAIK they layer isn't able for such complex task, furthermore X F10 is too old for any such ambitions.