will freebsd run on apple intel xserve

[Jason Joines]

George Hartzell wrote:
> Jason Joines writes:
>  > 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.
> 
> Well, I'm pretty fuzzy about what's hidden inside the various intel
> macs, but if will let you partition a disk from an os x install cd,
> will boot a freebsd boot disk from the cd (so you can do the install),
> and will boot from an refit cd (or via refit installed into the efi
> [sic?] boot area) then it'll go.  FreeBSD doesn't need much from the
> bios, does it?
> 
> If you send me an intel xserve, I'll take a shot at it.... :)
> 
> g.



     It will partition a disk from an os x cd but I haven't got it to 
boot anything but os x from refit.  I haven't got to try the FreeBSD 
boot disk yet, hopefully I'll get to go on site and do that soon.

     I don't know what FreeBSD nees from the bios.  Linux doesn't 
normally need much.  This issue is particular to EFI, elilo and the 
amd64 architecture.  It works just fine with EFI, elilo,  and ia64 and 
as far as I know works just fine with EFI and x86.

     Sure wish I could give 'em to ya.


Jason
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