FreeBSD EFI projects
Greg V
greg at unrelenting.technology
Wed Sep 19 15:17:35 UTC 2018
On Wed, Sep 19, 2018 at 6:06 PM, Rodney W. Grimes
<freebsd-rwg at pdx.rh.CN85.dnsmgr.net> wrote:
>> On Wed, Sep 19, 2018 at 5:34 PM, Rodney W. Grimes
>> <freebsd-rwg at pdx.rh.CN85.dnsmgr.net> wrote:
>> >> On 9/18/18 4:11 AM, Greg V wrote:
>> >>
>> >> >
>> >> > I can confirm that the kernel already worked fine when booted
>> from
>> >> > 32-bit EFI.
>> >> >
>> >> > I booted an old Mac into HardenedBSD using a 32-bit-EFI build
>> of
>> >> GRUB2 :)
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Was that a 64-bit version of FreeBSD? My understanding is the
>> 32-bit
>> >> FreeBSD boots fine, but 64-bit needs work.
>> >
>> > You would be hard pressed to find a system with a 64 bit CPU that
>> > could run 64 bit FreeBSD that had a 32 bit EFI implementation.
>>
>> Mac mini 2006 with a Core2Duo instead of the stock CoreDuo (and the
>> 2007 model's firmware flashed, but I don't think that impacts
>> FreeBSD).
>
> Yes, that is one of the catagories of rare, a EFI-32 bit system that
> was originally shipped with a 32 bit only CPU, that later got upgraded
> in the field with a 64 bit CPU, that still runs a EFI-32 bios.
> Are you sure the 2007 firmware is EFI32? I would of thought
> since they upgraded the base system to a 64 bit CPU they would
> of shipped it with a EFI-64 bios.
The EFI firmware is technically 64 bit… but it only boots 32-bit
binaries.
https://everymac.com/mac-answers/snow-leopard-mac-os-x-faq/mac-os-x-snow-leopard-64-bit-macs-64-bit-efi-boot-in-64-bit-mode.html
'Furthermore, it appears that although subsequently released MacBook,
MacBook Air, and pre-"Mid-2010" Mac mini models all are equipped with
"Core 2 Duo" 64-bit processors and 64-bit EFIs, Apple has blocked these
"consumer-targeted" Macs from booting in 64-bit mode. iMac and MacBook
Pro models released in 2007 with 64-bit EFIs seem to have been blocked
as well.'
>> And probably just the 2007 model as well :)
>>
>> Also, IIRC there were some Intel Atom tablets with 32-bit EFI.
>
> Atom N2xx and Z5xx series Atom models cannot run x86-64
Atom Z3740 — "Instruction Set: 64-bit"
https://ark.intel.com/products/76759/Intel-Atom-Processor-Z3740-2M-Cache-up-to-1_86-GHz
The tablet in question: ASUS VivoTab Note 8 (M80TA)
https://www.asus.com/us/Tablets/ASUS_VivoTab_Note_8_M80TA/
More information about the freebsd-current
mailing list