will freebsd run on apple intel xserve

[Jason Joines]

George Hartzell wrote:
> Jason Joines writes:
>  >      I'm a Linux guy who has inherited some apple xserve boxes. 
>  > Surprisingly I've discovered that I really hate os x.  For the intel 
>  > xserve boxes, Linux isn't an option.  The CPUs are amd64 architecture. 
>  > The EFI capable Linux bootloader, has had beta support for amd64 since 
>  > July.  However, the Linux kernel just got support to boot via EFI and 
>  > amd64 in a release candidate patch this month.  It'll probably be quite 
>  > a while before a distribution has an installer with what I need.
>  > 
>  >      At any rate, I've always wanted to try one of the BSDs.  Will 
>  > FreeBSD install on an apple intel xserve?  If not does anyone know if 
>  > another BSD or some other open source NIX will work?
> 
> I can't give you a direct answer, but I was running 6-STABLE on an
> 8-way mac pro up until a couple of weeks ago (I had to give it back to
> it's owners and I'm waiting until after the next wwdc to buy my
> own...).
> 
> I used bootcamp to partition a spare disk, then just booted from a
> freebsd cd and installed onto that partition.  I ended up using refit
> as a boot doohickey (initially from an refit cd, eventually taking a
> chance on installing it onto the disk itself).
> 
> There wasn't anything too surprising.
> 
> g.
> 



     I didn't even know there was such a thing as an 8-way mac pro. 
Unfortunately that probably doesn't mean much as far as the xserve boxes 
go, at least not the intel xserve boxes.  I'm running Linux on an intel 
imac and an intel powerbook pro, and others are on the intel powerbook 
and it runs on all the PowerPC stuff.  However, all the intel boxes just 
mentioned have BIOS emulation.  The intel xserve boxes do not, boot camp 
won't run on them and isn't supported on them.


Jason
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