# FreeBSD 10.1-RELEASE install on Lenovo H50-50



## roy2098 (Jul 31, 2015)

I'm a long-time FreeBSD user now very frustrated over inability to install on this spanking-new Lenovo desktop.

I have tried to install from CD under UEFI BIOS settings. Also from CD under Legacy settings. Also from USB minimal memstick under UEFI. Also in all cases both ZFS on root and also UFS (traditional).

In every case the install proceeds fine but when it comes time to boot into the new system, no luck - the "can't find boot or operating system" (not a direct quote but that's the essence of the error; it's not up in front of me now...)

The system does write to and partition the drive because i can see this by running the install mediums and dropping into the shell. `gpart show` looks correct. And I also can destroy these partitions before starting another install attempt utilizing `gpart destroy` command.

I've tried to use `gpart set active` still to no avail.

I believe I've seen on the net reference to Lenovo laptops with BIOS that has gpart bug but that bug only prevented install iI think of ZFS on root, not the traditional UFS install...

I believe the correct line(s) were in /boot/loader.conf.

Lastly, it should be noted both Illumos and Ubuntu 15.04 install just fine under Legacy on this machine.

Lenovo, are you listening? What are you doing that makes me want to scream?

Anyone with ideas? I'm not guru-enough to know how to deal with this although I went through a manual install of ZFS on root as well with the same result...

If I get someone's interest here I'm happy to go through the install again, if necessary, to give you precise errors and information...


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## roy2098 (Jul 31, 2015)

I just checked with Lenovo, I have the latest BIOS for this machine.

I see other threads here from users with Lenovo BIOS issues and gpart(8). I guess FreeBSD wants grub?

Sorry, I did also try out the MBR option during the attempted installs. Too bad really because I wanted to try out FreeBSD as desktop running x11/lumina (from ports), the PC-BSD desktop...

BSD'ers I love FreeBSD and run it both on physical servers and in VM's but not being able to install on this machine really sucks!


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## Patrick Bär (Jul 31, 2015)

So when you installed with "MBR option", what exactly did you do?


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## roy2098 (Jul 31, 2015)

I selected MBR from the installer menu and did not change anything else. If memory serves correctly, it changes block size from 4k to 2k  and that is all. Did I need to manually install the boot blocks from shell?


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## Patrick Bär (Jul 31, 2015)

block size? Anyway, I will tell you what I did:

-On the installer menu chose the first item "Guided UFS" or something like this, the first option 
Then the default partitioning comes up with three GPT partitions for boot, root and swap.

-Go to modify and change from GPT to MBR. All partitions from your disk have disappeared

-Go to create and create a new partition spanning the whole disk with type freebsd. It's in there by default. 

- HIghlight the new partition and create new partitions (formerly known as slices). I picked one large partition with type freebsd-ufs and mountpoint /, and one small partition with type freebsd-swap. 

- Hit commit, write to disk and exit or whatever stuff appears there. 

It should boot then. At least I hope as that was the part where I got stuck


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## roy2098 (Jul 31, 2015)

Patrick, was this on Lenovo H50?


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## ivosevb (Jul 31, 2015)

Maybe this ....
https://www.banym.de/freebsd/install-freebsd-11-on-thinkpad-t420

I had the same problem with Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72. I disabled UEFI in BIOS and the only variant that boot was UFS with MBR.


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## ivosevb (Jul 31, 2015)

Lenovo GPT bug. Maybe this helps:
https://www.banym.de/freebsd/install-freebsd-11-on-thinkpad-t420

I had the same problem with Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72. I disabled UEFI in BIOS and the only variant that boot was UFS with MBR.


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## Patrick Bär (Jul 31, 2015)

roy2098 said:


> Patrick, was this on Lenovo H50?



Nope, a Dell E7450. But if the problem is "cannot boot GPT" it should be the same issue.


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## roy2098 (Jul 31, 2015)

That wasn't the precise error; I'm going to attempt your technique to see what results - except I don't want the entire disk occupied by freebsd-ufs; iI'd want several partitions that I could use for ZFS. But let me see if configuring as you did makes any difference...


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## roy2098 (Jul 31, 2015)

Well, it worked! Patrick, you are brilliant, my man, thanks so much!


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