Re: Firefox crashes all the time on the RaspBerry Pi Zero 2W

From: Mario Marietto <marietto2008_at_gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2025 21:24:25 UTC
I've installed this image file on sd card :

FreeBSD-13.5-STABLE-arm-armv6-RPI-B-20250403-f8cd0c8e20b0-259236.img.xz

and I tried to boot my Raspberry Pi Zero 2W. I've got the rainbow screen.
At this point I tried to swap some dtb files :

marietto# pkg search rpi-firmware

rpi-firmware-1.20230405.g20230405 Firmware for RaspberryPi Single Board
Computer

marietto# pkg install rpi-firmware

New packages to be INSTALLED:
rpi-firmware: 1.20230405.g20230405

marietto# cd /usr/local/share/rpi-firmware/

marietto# ls

COPYING.linux bcm2710-rpi-2-b.dtb config_arm64.txt fixup_x.dat
LICENCE.broadcom bcm2710-rpi-3-b-plus.dtb config_rpi3.txt overlays
armstub8-gic.bin bcm2710-rpi-3-b.dtb config_rpi3_edk2.txt start.elf
armstub8.bin bcm2710-rpi-cm3.dtb config_rpi4.txt start4.elf
bcm2708-rpi-b-plus.dtb bcm2710-rpi-zero-2-w.dtb config_rpi_0_w.txt
start4cd.elf
bcm2708-rpi-b-rev1.dtb bcm2710-rpi-zero-2.dtb fixup.dat start4db.elf
bcm2708-rpi-b.dtb bcm2711-rpi-4-b.dtb fixup4.dat start4x.elf
bcm2708-rpi-cm.dtb bcm2711-rpi-400.dtb fixup4cd.dat start_cd.elf
bcm2708-rpi-zero-w.dtb bcm2711-rpi-cm4-io.dtb fixup4db.dat start_db.elf
bcm2708-rpi-zero.dtb bcm2711-rpi-cm4.dtb fixup4x.dat start_x.elf
bcm2709-rpi-2-b.dtb bootcode.bin fixup_cd.dat
bcm2709-rpi-cm2.dtb config.txt fixup_db.dat

marietto# ls /mnt/da0s1

EFI bcm2708-rpi-zero-w.dtb fixup_cd.dat start_cd.elf
bcm2708-rpi-b-plus.dtb bootcode.bin fixup_db.dat start_db.elf
bcm2708-rpi-b.dtb config.txt fixup_x.dat start_x.elf
bcm2708-rpi-cm.dtb dtb overlays u-boot.bin
bcm2708-rpi-zero-2-w.dtb fixup.dat start.elf

marietto# cp bcm2708-rpi-zero.dtb /mnt/da0s1/bcm2708-rpi-zero-2-w.dtb
marietto# cp bcm2708-rpi-zero.dtb /mnt/da0s1/bcm2708-rpi-zero.dtb

also tried :

marietto# cp bcm2708-rpi-zero-w.dtb /mnt/da0s1/bcm2708-rpi-zero-2-w.dtb

and :

marietto# cp bcm2708-rpi-b.dtb /mnt/da0s1/bcm2708-rpi-zero-2-w.dtb

No one worked. There isn't any dtb file that can boot this image file :

FreeBSD-13.5-STABLE-arm-armv6-RPI-B-20250403-f8cd0c8e20b0-259236.img.xz

on the raspi zero 2 W....


On Tue, Apr 15, 2025 at 4:33 PM Clinton Bessesen <cbessesen@kbcnetworks.com>
wrote:

> The native freebsd ports use gnu make, to use cmake (as a pre-processor
> for make), you will need to describe a cmakelist file. Remember that cmake
> is just a pre-processor for gnu make.
>
>
>
> I don’t think the native i686 port has entries for cross-compiling to ARM.
> You might need to get the firefox git source, then use mozbuild as a
> frontend for the build system (think it is Python based frontend that
> generates the build scripts).
>
>
>
> Regards
>
> Clinton
>
>
>
> *From:* Mario Marietto <marietto2008@gmail.com>
> *Sent:* 15 April 2025 15:09
> *To:* Clinton Bessesen <cbessesen@kbcnetworks.com>
> *Cc:* Mark Millard <marklmi@yahoo.com>; Zach Metzinger <zmetzing@pobox.com>;
> freebsd-arm@freebsd.org
> *Subject:* Re: Firefox crashes all the time on the RaspBerry Pi Zero 2W
>
>
>
> Trying to cross compile Firefox for armv7 / 32 bit for the Raspy Zero 2W /
> on my AMD64 PC following this tutorial :
>
>
>
>
> https://www.siberoloji.com/how-to-cross-compile-software-for-arm-architecture-on-freebsd-operating-system/
>
>
>
> failing...please give a look below :
>
>
>
> marietto# cd /usr/ports/www/firefox
>
> marietto# pkg install gcc llvm binutils
>
>
>
> marietto# export TARGET=arm
>
> marietto# export TARGET_ARCH=armv7
>
> marietto# export CROSS_TOOLCHAIN=llvm
>
> marietto# export CC=clang
>
> marietto# export CXX=clang++
>
> marietto# export AS=llvm-as
>
> marietto# export LD=ld.lld
>
>
>
> marietto# ls
> Makefile distinfo pkg-descr
> Makefile.options files pkg-message
>
>
>
> marietto# cmake -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME=Generic \
>
> -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR=armv7 \
>
> -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=arm-none-eabi-gcc \
>
> -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=arm-none-eabi-g++ .
>
>
>
> CMake Warning:
>   No source or binary directory provided.  Both will be assumed to be the
>   same as the current working directory, but note that this warning will
>   become a fatal error in future CMake releases.
>
> CMake Error: The source directory "/usr/ports/www/firefox" does not appear
> to contain CMakeLists.txt.
> Specify --help for usage, or press the help button on the CMake GUI.
>
>
>
> marietto# make CC=arm-none-eabi-gcc CXX=arm-none-eabi-g++
>
>
>
> make: "/usr/ports/Mk/bsd.port.mk" line 1061: Cannot open
> /usr/local/share/toolchains/gcc.mk
> make: "/usr/ports/Mk/bsd.port.mk" line 1083: Unknown directive "export"
> make: Fatal errors encountered -- cannot continue
> make: stopped in /usr/ports/www/firefox
>
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 15, 2025 at 3:12 PM Clinton Bessesen <
> cbessesen@kbcnetworks.com> wrote:
>
> Armv7 is 32bit with NEON optimised instruction, so should be more suitable
> than armv6.
>
>
>
> Regards
>
> Clinton
>
>
>
> *From:* Mario Marietto <marietto2008@gmail.com>
> *Sent:* 15 April 2025 14:08
> *To:* Clinton Bessesen <cbessesen@kbcnetworks.com>
> *Cc:* Mark Millard <marklmi@yahoo.com>; Zach Metzinger <zmetzing@pobox.com>;
> freebsd-arm@freebsd.org
> *Subject:* Re: Firefox crashes all the time on the RaspBerry Pi Zero 2W
>
>
>
> For the cross compilation of Firefox for the Raspberry Pi zero 2W at 32
> bit on my AMD64 PC,should I choose armv6 or armv7 ?
>
> Define the cross-compilation toolchain variables:
>
> export TARGET=arm
>
> export TARGET_ARCH=armv7
>
> thanks.
>
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 15, 2025 at 2:03 PM Mario Marietto <marietto2008@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> In addition,I will try to cross compile Firefox for 32 and 64 bit on my PC
> where I have installed FreeBSD for x86-64 following this fresh tutorial :
>
>
>
>
> https://www.siberoloji.com/how-to-cross-compile-software-for-arm-architecture-on-freebsd-operating-system/
>
>
>
> because doing it directly on the raspberry pi zero is impossible...
>
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 15, 2025 at 1:30 PM Mario Marietto <marietto2008@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> I made a mistake before. The image that's seems to be more appropriate for
> the raspberry pi at 32 bit does not seems to be this one :
>
>
>
> FreeBSD-14.2-RELEASE-arm-armv7-GENERICSD.img.xz
> <https://download.freebsd.org/releases/arm/armv7/ISO-IMAGES/14.2/FreeBSD-14.2-RELEASE-arm-armv7-GENERICSD.img.xz>
>
>
>
> but this one :
>
>
>
> FreeBSD-13.5-STABLE-arm-armv6-RPI-B-20250403-f8cd0c8e20b0-259236.img.xz
>
>
>
> Don't know what differences there are between these versions.
>
>
>
> With that said,the Superuser.com post says :
>
>
>
> *Install the 32 bit version of Firefox*
>
> By installing the 32 bit version of firefox (apt-get install firefox:i386)
> the base memory usage is only about 50% of what it is with the 64 bit.
>
>
>
> To be able to cut 50% of the memory usage in one only shot is very
> appealing. It's hard to refuse this benefit....
>
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 15, 2025 at 12:48 PM Clinton Bessesen <
> cbessesen@kbcnetworks.com> wrote:
>
> Be careful when suggesting 32bit application on a 64bit RISC architecture.
> The 32bit instruction set is a separate license and not every silicon
> manufacturer is still going to be implementing the ARMv7 instruction set on
> ARMv8 or ARMv9 architecture.
>
> I would rather go down the path of optimising firefox memory management
> (remove some of the legacy code).
>
>
>
> Regards
>
> Clinton
>
>
>
> *From:* owner-freebsd-arm@FreeBSD.org <owner-freebsd-arm@FreeBSD.org> *On
> Behalf Of *Mario Marietto
> *Sent:* 15 April 2025 11:10
> *To:* Mark Millard <marklmi@yahoo.com>
> *Cc:* Zach Metzinger <zmetzing@pobox.com>; freebsd-arm@freebsd.org
> *Subject:* Re: Firefox crashes all the time on the RaspBerry Pi Zero 2W
>
>
>
> I think,this version :
>
>
>
>
> https://download.freebsd.org/releases/arm/armv7/ISO-IMAGES/14.2/FreeBSD-14.2-RELEASE-arm-armv7-GENERICSD.img.xz
>
>
>
> or, maybe, Firefox can be optimized to run with 512 MB. For
> example,installing the 32 bit version of Firefox on the Raspberry Pi zero
> (if it exists),according with this post :
>
> [image: superuser.com]
> How can I configure Firefox to assume I have less memory?
> <https://superuser.com/questions/459448/how-can-i-configure-firefox-to-assume-i-have-less-memory>
>
>
>
> just because on a 64 bit OS we can run 32 bit applications....at least in
> Linux...
>
>
>
> Mario.
>
>
>
> On Tue, Apr 15, 2025 at 12:06 PM Mario Marietto <marietto2008@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> Can I install FreeBSD at 32 bit (if it exists) on the Raspberry Pi Zero 2W
> ?
>
>
>
> On Mon, Apr 14, 2025 at 2:16 AM Mario Marietto <marietto2008@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> I will try all your suggestions one by one. Regarding the wi-fi on the
> raspberry pi,I want to open a parentheses...  (
>
>
>
> I'm looking for a way to transform a BT keyboard like that I've bought
> (LILYGO t-keyboard) into a wired / USB keyboard.
>
> I need this conversion because FreeBSD on the Raspy (and not only here)
> does not recognize almost all the BT/Wi-fi devices or if it does,they will
> not work.  I found this adapter :
>
> https://www.intelletto.com/products?id=3004
>
> I would like to understand if it works like I imagine. Basically what I
> want to do to reach the final goal are the following tasks :
>
>
>
> 1) I attach the BT dongle
>
> 2) I turn on my LILYGO bt and it starts waiting for the signal
>
> 3) I attach your adapter
>
> 4) I do the pairing
>
> 5) FreeBSD recognizes the Keyboard as a USB device and it starts working.
>
>
>
> I would like to know if,using that adapter, I can exonerate FreeBSD from
> recognition or maybe it's better to say make it work,the BT dongle that I
> use to do the pairing with my LILYGO keyboard....if the keyboard will be
> recognized as one USB keyboard I can use use it on FreeBSD installed on the
> Raspy.
>
>
>
> closed parentheses )
>
>
>
> On Mon, Apr 14, 2025 at 1:59 AM Mark Millard <marklmi@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> On Apr 13, 2025, at 15:41, Zach Metzinger <zmetzing@pobox.com> wrote:
>
> > On 4/13/25 16:47, Mario Marietto wrote:
> >> Why isn't there a specific version of FreeBSD for the raspberry pi zero
> 2W ?
> >
> > Hello Mario,
> >
> > You might think about re-wording that question. It sounds like that
> you're demanding that others do work, gratis, for you.
> >
> > Perhaps a softer way to ask this question is:
> >
> > "Is there a specific version for each of the RPi platforms, specifically
> the Zero 2 W?"
> >
> > I haven't checked recently, but one of the issues I've seen preventing a
> fully-functioning Zero 2 W on FreeBSD is the lack of the wireless driver
> (closed source). You might do some research into that and see if the
> situation has changed and, if possible, contribute to such work.
> >
>
> https://wiki.freebsd.org/arm/Raspberry%20Pi does not list
> any RPi* has having "WiFi" OK. It explicitly lists
> "Unsupported" for each of: RPI 3 / RPi3B+ / RPI 2 1.2 / RPi4 .
> As far as I know, no RPi* has ever had support for any
> built-in WiFi or the like.
>
> In other words: the normal FreeBSD RPi* type of context.
>
> ===
> Mark Millard
> marklmi at yahoo.com
>
>
>
> --
>
> Mario.
>
>
>
> --
>
> Mario.
>
>
>
> --
>
> Mario.
>
>
>
> --
>
> Mario.
>
>
>
> --
>
> Mario.
>
>
>
> --
>
> Mario.
>
>
>
> --
>
> Mario.
>


-- 
Mario.