New FreeBSD User | HP Doesn't Boot

[Armin Pirkovitsch]

On 10/09/11 01:11, Michael Starr wrote:
> Hello Everyone,
>
>     I am a brand new FreeBSD user with minimal Unix knowledge. I have
> "successfully" installed FreeBSD on a computer dedicated to the operating
> system. However, after rebooting, the machine can't boot, nor get into BIOS.
> I installed the system from a bootable USB stick. I would try another fresh
> install, but currently I can't do anything. Could someone please direct me
> to a solution? I hope I did not irrevocably alter my BIOS. Any help would be
> deeply appreciated. Thank you.
>
> Computer: HP dvr6 2150us (laptop)

First of all - I looked for you notebook and it looks like you have an 
Intel Core i3 with an Intel GMA HD.
If that is the case you will have troubles running Xorg on that notebook 
due to the lack of KMS in FreeBSD. There is a patch for HEAD (the 
development version of FreeBSD) but quiet some work is needed to get it 
running.
KMS is under development right now - but not yet available in any 
releases...

Regarding your problem:

I have the same problem on my notebook - my solution is dirty but I was 
not able find a better one: (or better - not any other at all)

- Install FreeBSD, remove the disk from your computer, put it in an 
external case and run fdisk (e.g. linux fdisk - i used fdisk from the 
parted magic boot cd for that)
Mark the correct partition as active (even if it's already marked as 
such - remove the flag, write it, set it back and again write)
- put it back into your notebook - now everything should work fine - 
don't ever press any of the F keys during the boot (it usually prompts 
for it) - it would result in the same problem as before
- if you want to install eg windows now would be the time (if so - use 
the windows boot manager to boot freebsd - do NOT use the freebsd boot 
manager (the F1, F2, ... thing) )
[ http://bastian.rieck.ru/howtos/windows_boot_manager/ ]

To be honest - I haven't tried booting FreeBSD after that fix without 
Windows - so no promises there - it might happen that it boots eg only 
once...

An alternative solution would be to install FreeBSD using GPT instead of 
MBR (works if you a.) don't care about windows, or b.) have UEFI BIOS to 
install Windows on a GPT disk)

Armin