Creating FreeBSD/arm bootable SD card for Cubieboards from FreeBSD 11.0 image files for Wintel only users.

[Warner Losh]

On Sun, Nov 20, 2016 at 5:32 AM, John W. Kitz <John.Kitz at xs4all.nl> wrote:
> On Sat, Nov 19, 2016 at 11:48 AM, John W. Kitz <John.Kitz at xs4all.nl> wrote:
>>> To rephrase my question; am I correct in assuming that the FreeBSD
>>> release
>>> 11.0 SD-card image file contains everything one needs to do a first
>>> time installation of FreeBSD on a cubieboard or cubieboard2? I.e. I do
>>> not or do no longer need to install the SPL loader and U-boot programs
>>> on the SD-card, since they are either an integral part of or not
>>> needed when using the image file.
>
>>Yes. If you can image the file onto an SD card verbatim, and the image is exactly right for your board, that's all you need to do. If you are trying >to use the image not on a Cubieboard2, but on something newer, then you'll need to install the right u-boot package and follow the directions in the >readme file to put the combined SPL+uboot.img file onto your card. You may also need to copy a .DTB file for your board and possibly a newer kernel >depending on how different things are.
>>
>>https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/installation/installing-images/windows.md
>>might be helpful for you, since images are images, even though that site is for the Raspberry Pi.
>
> All,
>
> Thanks for the various replies.
>
> In lieu of the availability of an image file for one of the more recent Cubie products I am planning to give it a try on a cubieboard2.

You're unlikely to have a good day doing that.

> Does anybody on this list happen to know if future FreeBSD releases are planned to include images for more recent Cubie hardware?

Which specific hardware? In the embedded space, there's no
standardization, so even minor variants can need their own u-boot.  We
may have a u-boot ready for that...

Warner