what kind of freebsd image for a usbstick installation on Prozessor: ARM Cortex-A8 @1GHz

Hi there ,

I have a computer with a processor: ARM Cortex-A8 @1GHz.

Now I want to make a FreeBSD bootable USBStick.

There are so many images that I don't know which one to choose for that processor ?

Does anyone have an idea?

Kind regards,
SM
 
ARM is far more complicated than that, the ARM ecosystem is an absolute total mess where no one follow the standards but do wherever they want, and yet are very secretive about it. You need to give the exactly computer model to than yet look if that may work or not.

[EDIT]

Have a look on the WIKI.
 
@rigoletto,
Thanks for attention.

I have seen that the armv7-A architecture is in this processor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_Cortex-A8

The model is : IGEL Thin Client UD2-LX Multimedia D510C ARM Cortex-A8 1GHz 1GB RAM 2GB Flashspeicher

Flash memory 2GB - no harddrive.
For this reason I want to make a bootable FreeBSD usbstick. OS on stick.

thanks
SM
 
You may try THIS one[1] but IIRC the changes you make will not be saved after reboot.

[1] you can use dd(1) to create the USB (don't forget to decompress the image).

[EDIT]

Hmm. This is arm7, this is just supported at -CURRENT for now. You probably need the -GENERICSD version, but no ideia if will work or not.
 
yeah i will try those options you are mentioning.
theese igel fellers have a special own linux version on their machine preinstalled.
for me i will use this harddrive and cooler free , very lightweight tower as a mobile computer to carry with.
real UNIX OS BSD is more important for me.
so i can use this machine as a booting machine for freebsd from usbstick.
he he he
 
rigoletto,
thanks for attention.

i have seen that the armv7-A architecture is in this prozessor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_Cortex-A8

the model is : IGEL Thin Client UD2-LX Multimedia D510C ARM Cortex-A8 1GHz 1GB RAM 2GB Flashspeicher

flash memory 2GB - no harddrive.
for this reason i want to make a bootable freebsd usbstick. OS on stick.

thanks
SM
I think that unfortunately FreeBSD is much too specific in its Arm builds. I could suggest looking at NetBSD, but that would be against the rules. ;)

There is this generic one:
 
I think that unfortunately FreeBSD is much too specific in its Arm builds.
That's because the entire ARM ecosystem is like that. ARM is not like a 'standard' PC. There are no standard components, a mainboard, a cpu and some additional input/output chipsets. The ARM ecosystem is based around SoC. Everybody builds their own. The CPU itself is not the problem, it's what gets crammed inside the chip to do all the other things that is problematic. A lot of it is closed off, not open to tinkerers like us. And because every SoC is different you have to build different systems for it.

 
That's because the entire ARM ecosystem is like that. ARM is not like a 'standard' PC. There are no standard components, a mainboard, a cpu and some additional input/output chipsets. The ARM ecosystem is based around SoC. Everybody builds their own. The CPU itself is not the problem, it's what gets crammed inside the chip to do all the other things that is problematic. A lot of it is closed off, not open to tinkerers like us. And because every SoC is different you have to build different systems for it.

True, but as I later found and linked into the post, FreeBSD does have a generic build.
This at least gives the OP a starting point. He can then dig around u-boot for the appropriate Texas Instruments SoC.
 
I have the generic one download ready. Will try both and easy testing in a few days. Relax.
What I try is not to have a smartphone or laptop but instead a mini-tower with mini screen and mini keyboard in the suitcase.
A whole mini-office with no limits in comfort. All together under 5 kilograms. I will unscew the socket from the monitor for having the plain screen on the table , just underlying a book or etc. Will report this experience with pictures.

A checkout worth it.
 
What I try is not to have a smartphone or laptop but instead a mini-tower with mini screen and mini keyboard in the suitcase.
It's not limited to smartphones or laptops, it's everything that's based around an ARM processor. There simply isn't a "standard", it's all custom designed and made. Some are definitely more open than others but even a Raspberry Pi isn't completely "open".
 
With supergrub 2 I can boot everything, even "nobody" Terence Hill.
If there are problems I will try a FreeBSD CD-ROM LIVE CD. That will work.
But before that I will connect a little permanent usb-harddisk to the tower and normally install FreeBSD on that.
Never plug out that hard disk, every time connected.
Nobody is the greatest.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vzmdkPf3-0

if someone says to "clone" a whole OS such like windows or Unix to another environment he has a big mouth.
There are other Thin Clients except IGEL out there without a installed OS. Also ready for starting a UNIX OS from USB.
 
Last edited:
update , 20.08.20

hi , i have ordered a second thin client brand fujitsu with a AMD Prozessor.
expected on saturday this week.
i will try it first instead of armv7.
have here current freebsd13amd64bit on USB Stick prepared to boot with supergrub 2 and will report
as soon as the client dispached here by parcel post.

SM
 
thank you SirDice,
thintower maybe today delivered here.
i will run only the original UNIX BSD , nothing else. GNU go away.
version 13 current and give FuryBSD a try.

i know that all comes from freebsd and other derivates are "succing stuff from the origin source" that they have not worked out themselves.
back to the roots. the origin source is the best.

"what OS are your running" ?
"UNIX"
"which UNIX ?"
"the genuine UNIX"
 
thats right mark_j,

i should use 12.1 version. but for this AMD Prozessor.
may i ask for the memstick FreeBSD 12.1 amd64 image ?

this one i want to write to a USB STICK and then booting it.

i need the smallest memstick composition for 64bit AMD. or install the smallest 64bit AMD version.
for computers with low recources. (mobile thinclient)
no harddisk. IF install , then on USB Stick and stay in port - never plugged out. (only backup)

Kindly Regards
SM
 
thats right mark_j,

i should use 12.1 version. but for this AMD Prozessor.
may i ask for the memstick FreeBSD 12.1 amd64 image ?

If I understand you correctly, why not use the memstick of 12.1R AMD64: https://download.freebsd.org/ftp/re.../12.1/FreeBSD-12.1-RELEASE-amd64-memstick.img

If you only want to boot (just to see if it boots), then: https://download.freebsd.org/ftp/re.../FreeBSD-12.1-RELEASE-amd64-mini-memstick.img

The mini-memstick is a live file system, so you can check device discovery etc before doing a proper install.




i need the smallest memstick composition for 64bit AMD. or install the smallest 64bit AMD version.
for computers with low recources. (mobile thinclient)
no harddisk. IF install , then on USB Stick and stay in port - never plugged out. (only backup)

I'm not sure what you mean, exactly. The memstick version will install the FreeBSD OS. It is then up to you to choose what to add later, such as X11, a desktop and so on. If you just want a bare-bones OS, then use the memstick, install the OS and you're done.

If you want to stick to using 13 then you cannot expect help here as the stuff in 13 is possibly unstable, bleeding-edge, bugged and certainly full of debugging (making it slow).
 
hello mark_j,
i made a post in installing section.

i don't understand the memstick.img thing.
if i use memstick , why i have to install later ?
suppose to run it from USB.
is it possible to install packages to a LIVECD or memstick.img that is running ?

SM
 
The closest you get to a live system is the mini-memstick image. That image DOES NOT include packages.

Perhaps just wait for the machine to arrive, download the mini-memstick and see if it is what you want?

The only other one, not FreeBSD but a derivative of it, is FuryBSD. I dare say, though, it's a bit of a resource hog because of the desktop it uses. It's probably worth a try, though.
 
i don't understand the memstick.img thing.
if i use memstick , why i have to install later ?
Because the memstick installer is mounted Read Only when booted.
It is only meant for installing and with LiveCD mode you can use Rescue features.
What I have done is install FreeBSD onto a USB stick for computers with no disk or for investigation.
is it possible to install packages to a LIVECD or memstick.img that is running ?
No the disk is mounted Read Only.

What you can do is create a NanoBSD image with the packages you desire.
It is a tad complicated but you can create a minimal running system that boots from USB and has packages.
 
is it possible to install packages to a LIVECD or memstick.img that is running ?
If by that you mean something similar to Tails (Debian/Tor) encrypted persistent storage or Kali Linux Live persistence.conf, AFAIK the answer is no.
You may, but you have to find a solution. The official medium does not support that.
 
[...] A whole mini-office with no limits in comfort. All together under 5 kilograms. [...]
Ahem. My laptop is 1.3 kg incl. 14" screen...
  • Instead of FuryBSD (see here), have a look at NomadBSD for your x86/AMD thin client. If I understand it correctly, you can install packages to the live USB system, and they will be persistent.
Do not use CURRENT. You should go with a RELEASE, and it's also ok to go with STABLE for a desktop system. My personal choice would be to avoid GTk apps as much as possible, because it's crap, and it's counter-intuitive to put a bloated 72 MB Firefox onto a system designed to work on low resources, but of course that's partly a matter of personal bias. If you want comfort, the 1st coice is KDE. It handles low resources well (comparable to XfCE, better than Mate), but of course it suffers from Linuxisms as well as all other DEs, and on top of that it suffers from featuritis. That's the price for a modular and highly integrated DE.
  • Concerning creation of your own image, have a look at spin.
 
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