# UEFI bios config before installing



## gvia66 (Mar 22, 2020)

Hello,
I had a look on installation documentation. But i could'nt find how to configure BIOS or UEFI before installing FreeBSD.

I have a Lenovo Thinkpad T550 with 256Go SSD drive, and 16Go DDR3 RAM.
I want ot make a 12.1-stable install for desktop use (XFCE 4.14), with Wine and Virtualisation (Win95), ZFS.
And an Linux partitions (in a first time), if all work fine on FreeBSD i will change it to ZFS pool.

Questions are :
I am actualy on Legacy bios, i need to put it in UEFI ?
For Virtualisation i have 2 options in bios : Virtualisation, and VT-d feature (On or Off ?)
I need to tweak for Hibernation ?
Other thinks to do ???

For parting my SSD :
/boot and SWAP partitions will be shared by FreeBSD and Linux, or i need 2 of them for both systems ?
What size for /boot (grub) ?
What size for SWAP ?

I need to plug my external DVD burner (Samsung SE-S084F) before installing ?

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

In attached file :
Short Aida64 report.
My thought on installing FreeBSD


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## Emrion (Mar 22, 2020)

Hello,

I can give some answers. FreeBSD works in both legacy BIOS and UEFI. If you have the choice, select UEFI. When you'll install FreeBSD, choose GPT (UEFI+BIOS) so it will able to boot in both modes. Disable secure boot if you have this setting somewhere in your BIOS.

Put all virtualization settings you have to on, and VT-d in particular.

I don't think it's possible to share the swap space between linux and FreeBSD because the GUID of these partitions aren't the same: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GUID_Partition_Table

For the rest, leave the default settings during installation, it should be fine (well, look at the swap size, 2 or 4 GiB will be sufficient).

You can plug your DVD burner before or after installation, there will be no difference.


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## gvia66 (Mar 22, 2020)

so /boot is shared ? Is 16 Mo enough, Fat32 ?
choose GPT (UEFI+BIOS) : i have to chose between this
*Both (system will boot by UEFI/Legacy boot priority)
     - Legacy first, UEFI first
     - CSM support
*UEFI only
*Legacy Only.
Intel rapid start, On OFF


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## SirDice (Mar 23, 2020)

gvia66 said:


> so /boot is shared ?


No. FreeBSD doesn't use a separate /boot partition. The /boot directory on FreeBSD serves a different purpose. Plus it's typically ext4 on Linux but it must be UFS or ZFS for FreeBSD, so you can't "share" this in any case.


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## Emrion (Mar 23, 2020)

> choose GPT (UEFI+BIOS) : i have to chose between this


I was speaking about the FreeBSD installation. Choose UEFI in your BIOS settings (or whatever).

I rarely played to install several boot OSes. On this point, I can't help you and, personnally, I don't recommand that. I prefer an intense use of virtualization software like VirtualBox you can get on almost all OS.


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## gvia66 (Mar 24, 2020)

Emrion said:


> I rarely played to install several boot OSes. On this point, I can't help you and, personally, I don't recommend that. I prefer an intense use of virtualization software like VirtualBox you can get on almost all OS.


Yes, but FreeBSD installation seems difficult, i'm not use at vim, and text editing in console mod. I want an usable computer the time to install FreeBSD and look if all work well.


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## Zvoni (Mar 24, 2020)

I have a LenovoT440, and i couldn't get UEFI to work with either FreeBSD and/or Linux, only Windows.
Might be, because that Laptop was from a Company-Sellout (changing their hardware), and the Laptop is hardcoded only to work with Windows.
The same on an old Dell Optiplex --> UEFI? No Cigar, Sir!
Newest/latest BIOS on my T440, but i think that either the UEFI-Code in the BIOS is borked, or limited to Windows (No idea).
Wouldn't mind some pointers myself (all prerequisites for UEFI enabled/disabled - secureboot off etc.).
Works only in Legacy-Mode.

As for your idea with sharing partitions: Don't! Especially if UEFI doesn't work.
IMO not worth the hassle.
Separate Boot-partitions (in whatever flavour) don't take that much space, and sharing swap won't work, since it's a different FS between FreeBSD and Linux (Linux-Swap vs. freebsd-swap).
Just make sure, that you install a bootloader, which understands both OS's (Grub?).
If you want to share partitions and/or folders (say the home-directory), make sure you use a Filesystem both OS support.
But as i said: I wouldn't do it.

For me, installing FreeBSD is one of the easiest OS to install. Just follow the Installer-Wizard, and you're done in about 5 Minutes.
As for VIM: I feel you. the first thing i always do after installing the OS, is a "pkg install sudo nano" to get the nano-editor to change the sudoers-file

EDIT: Just saw your specs. If you have 16GB RAM, why in blazes would you need a swap-partition (and probably 16GB in size)?
Swap in that size, you'll only need if you want to use the hibernation-feature of the laptop, which i wouldn't touch with a 10-foot-long pole.

EDIT2: After thinking about it: I don't think it's a good idea to share your home-directory directly (thinking about .xinitrc), but i don't see any problems in sharing "real" User-folders (Music, Videos, Documents etc.)


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## tingo (Mar 24, 2020)

FWIW, I have good success with rEFInd as the boot manager on machines where UEFI is a bit difficult. As a bonus, rEFInd will find all operating systems you have installed, and show you a nice menu for booting any of them.


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## Zvoni (Mar 24, 2020)

tingo said:


> FWIW, I have good success with rEFInd as the boot manager on machines where UEFI is a bit difficult. As a bonus, rEFInd will find all operating systems you have installed, and show you a nice menu for booting any of them.


That's the weird thing on my T440: it has rEFInd as a boot-option, but i can't get it to work to find any UEFI-OS except windows.
(Or what's more probable: i'm just too dumb to find that particular switch in the BIOS.... *g*)


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## Sevendogsbsd (Mar 24, 2020)

> As for VIM: I feel you. the first thing i always do after installing the OS, is a "pkg install sudo nano" to get the nano-editor to change the sudoers-file


IMHO, `ee` is FreeBSD's "nano". Super easy to use, native and in base.


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## Zvoni (Mar 24, 2020)

Sevendogsbsd said:


> IMHO, `ee` is FreeBSD's "nano". Super easy to use, native and in base.


Ah, didn't know that one. Went with nano since i know it from Linux and feel comfortable with it


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## Sevendogsbsd (Mar 24, 2020)

Understood - when using FreeBSD I always use wither ee or vi. When on Linux, I almost always use nano. I normally don't try to mix the "worlds" though


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## Zvoni (Mar 24, 2020)

Sevendogsbsd said:


> Understood - when using FreeBSD I always use wither ee or vi. When on Linux, I almost always use nano. I normally don't try to mix the "worlds" though


Yeah! I admit, i'm not that long a member of the *nix-World, but i still remember my first contact with vi some 2-3 years ago.
Frankly: It weirds me out....


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## Sevendogsbsd (Mar 24, 2020)

I can at least use vi now without completely mangling a file, but my preference is to not use vi...


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## 20-100-2fe (Mar 24, 2020)

gvia66 said:


> Yes, but FreeBSD installation seems difficult, i'm not use at vim, and text editing in console mod. I want an usable computer the time to install FreeBSD and look if all work well.



You'd be well inspired to install FreeBSD in a VM to get familiar with it before trying to install it on bare metal.
FreeBSD's installation is neither complex, nor difficult, it is just not mainstream, so it requires to pay more attention than we're used to.
When you'll have installed it once or twice in a VM it will no longer seem so difficult. 

Also, vi is quite unusual in our GUI days, but after some time spent modifying configuration files or reading logs on servers using SSH, you no longer find it so weird. 
Just like in a whole lot of domains, proficiency comes with practice and VMs are quite convenient for practice.


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## Zvoni (Mar 24, 2020)

20-100-2fe said:


> You'd be well inspired to install FreeBSD in a VM to get familiar with it before trying to install it on bare metal.


Sound advice!
I remember a few months ago my first "tries" (note the keyword!) in VirtualBox with FreeBSD.
2 Months later with some more practice-runs in VBox i installed 2 identical servers running a FTP-Server alongside a Samba-Fileserver based on GlusterFS.
And boy, what a ride that was.....


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