# Booting FreeBSD on a Macbook Pro (not dual-boot)



## gregghz (Jul 10, 2013)

I've just installed freebsd FreeBSD 9.1 from the disc1 image on my _M_ac_B_ook pro (8,1) but the Apple bootloader doesn't recognize the OS and just gives me a flashing question mark when I attempt to boot the system.

After the install completed, and before the reboot I followed the instructions shown here (just the gpart commands, I used the guided partitioning): https://glenbarber.us/2011/11/12/Dual-Booting-OS-X-and-FreeBSD-9.html in the hopes that it would work even though I'm not dual booting. It didn't work.

Does anyone have an idea of how I can get the bootloader to recognize the OS?


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## neelwebs (Jul 11, 2013)

Reinstall FreeBSD with an MBR partition scheme. Then your Macbook Pro would boot FreeBSD.


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## trev (Jul 12, 2013)

My post at http://forums.freebsd.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=37218&p=206509 outlines how to install FreeBSD on a Mac Mini - it should also apply to the Macbook Pro _mutatis mutandis_.

[Edit: fixed url due to forum changes]


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## gregghz (Jul 12, 2013)

neelwebs said:
			
		

> Reinstall FreeBSD with an MBR partition scheme. Then your Macbook Pro would boot FreeBSD.



How do I do that? I suspect it's something I do during the partitioning portion of the install?


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## SirDice (Jul 12, 2013)

gregghz said:
			
		

> How do I do that? I suspect it's something I do during the partitioning portion of the install?



Read step 1 to 4 from the post @trev mentioned.


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## gregghz (Jul 12, 2013)

*T*hanks, I got it working with your help. But I had to manually specify MBR during the freebsd FreeBSD install, otherwise it wouldn't boot.


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