New Laptop

I'm getting a Toshiba Satellite S55-A5169 (this is the exact one) and was wondering if anyone has tried FreeBSD on the same model (Core i7 Haswell) and what might be some headaches or recommendations. In addition to FreeBSD-STABLE I will be installing a few other operating systems - haven't decided if I want to keep Windows on it or just VirtualBox it. I plan on it being my primary workhorse. Thanks in advance.

The order of things I would try:

1) FreeBSD
2) OpenBSD
3) Throw in dustbin...
4) If that fails (worryingly), then Windows and VirtualBox

Without knowing the chipsets on which some of the devices are built it's impossible to answer your question definitively. Looking at the link you provided, it does not go to the detail required. Even Toshiba's web site does list the chipsets for the Ethernet/wireless NICs, for example. I have dug around a bit and can find no more detailed info on them. These are the two big question marks for me and they are critical ones.

You will experience issues setting up the graphics card because of the Optimus Technology used, but fortunately many have paved that path before you. Search the Xorg forum for details on what to expect there.

In the meantime, try to find out the chipsets used for the NICs ... or someone else who has already installed FreeBSD on one.

I would have put this inquiry in the Mobile Computing forum. I think you would get better visibility there than in the Off-Topic forum. Your inquiry is very on-topic.

Perhaps a moderator could move this for you if you ask them nicely?

I'd keep Windows and use VirtualBox. I have a Toshiba Satelite P870 but I can't remember if there was an option to turn Optimus off in the BIOS. I haven't tried running FreeBSD directly on it. Besides the Optimus issues you're likely to also have issues with Secure Boot. Since I also use this laptop for work I opted to use VirtualBox. I chose this model because its Core i5 had, besides VT-x, VT-d and most Core i7 laptops didn't have that option.

Thanks for the replies. Just received the laptop yesterday and cleaned it up. What I want to do is multi-boot into various operating systems (Windows, FreeBSD, Debian, and one of these: BackBox, CAINE, Deft, or Matriux). I do plan to use VirtualBox with a couple others, but I want a dedicated system that the operating system won't lockup thus ruining, and possibly open me up security-wise, the virtual machine. What I would like to do is move the UEFI partion to the beginning of the disk, shrink and move the Windows partition next to the UEFI partition. However, GParted keeps locking up on me, even with Security: Disabled in the BIOS. Any good partition managers?

Funny, I can't even boot off of the FreeBSD 10.0-RELEASE DVD - just to see what dmesg and pciconf would show me.

UEFI has to be set to allow "legacy" booting. What to configure varies between implementations.

wblock@ said:

UEFI has to be set to allow "legacy" booting. What to configure varies between implementations.

Click to expand...

Under "Boot Mode" I have UEFI Boot and CSM Boot. SATA Controller Mode has AHCI and Compatibility.

When I select CSM Boot and choose either of the SATA modes BTX loader locks up at the spinning back-slash.

Weird, FreeBSD 10.0-STABLE is working with AHCI mode.