# FreeBSD install on old 2007 Mac



## Johneh (Sep 30, 2022)

Problem: Can’t install FreeBSD 
H/W: 24” 2007 Mac desktop (64amd - i386)
OS: Debian Linux 

No disk partition over write current OS.  
Ref: FreeBSD Handbook Chapter 2  Installing FreeBSD.
Downloaded FreeBSD (current stable) xxx dvd1.iso and burned to dvd.
Paragraph  2.4.1 Booting on i386 and amd64:  Tried all keys listed and some suggested by other sources.  
It would not boot.  
 The above is the same procedure I successfully used to install my current OS, Debian Linux.  
If I have to enter the BIOS - how do I enter the BIOS?


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## darmokandjalad (Oct 2, 2022)

I ran FreeBSD on a MacMini of that vintage for a little while a few years ago. I remember starting by performing a clean install of MacOSX Lion, and after that booting off of FreeBSD i386 install media. On a Mac of that vintage, I remember having to hold down the "c" key after powering on in order to boot off of optical media. Holding down Apple/Command + Option after powering on should also present you with a menu to select a boot device. Have you tried either of those?


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## darmokandjalad (Oct 2, 2022)

darmokandjalad said:


> I ran FreeBSD on a MacMini of that vintage for a little while a few years ago. I remember starting by performing a clean install of MacOSX Lion, and after that booting off of FreeBSD i386 install media. On a Mac of that vintage, I remember having to hold down the "c" key after powering on in order to boot off of optical media. Holding down Apple/Command + Option after powering on should also present you with a menu to select a boot device. Have you tried either of those?


Oh, and I remember being tripped up by the fact that the MacMini I had technically had a 64-bit Intel processor, but because Apple disabled 64-bit functionality somewhere in the hardware, it could only run 32-bit software. I wound up using the i386 version of FreeBSD 11. You might want to try the i386 version if you haven't.


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## SirDice (Oct 3, 2022)

Johneh said:


> If I have to enter the BIOS - how do I enter the BIOS?


Only PCs ( x86 based IBM PC clones) have a BIOS. 



darmokandjalad said:


> I had technically had a 64-bit Intel processor, but because Apple disabled 64-bit functionality somewhere in the hardware


You can't disable (parts of) the instruction set of a CPU. The CPU supports the Intel 64/AMD 64 extensions or it doesn't.



darmokandjalad said:


> it could only run 32-bit software.


I think you might be confused with a 32 bit (U)EFI not being able boot FreeBSD (loader.efi(8) requires a 64 bit (U)EFI). Which has nothing to do with the CPU.


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## darmokandjalad (Oct 4, 2022)

SirDice said:


> You can't disable (parts of) the instruction set of a CPU. The CPU supports the Intel 64/AMD 64 extensions or it doesn't.
> 
> 
> I think you might be confused with a 32 bit (U)EFI not being able boot FreeBSD (loader.efi(8) requires a 64 bit (U)EFI). Which has nothing to do with the CPU.


Thanks for clarifying, SirDice. I obviously still don't understand the problem I had.

For the record, it was this MacMini2,1, and googling just now, I found a blog post from 2020 describing the installation of a 64-bit Linux distribution on one using PXE:






						Macmini 2,1 PXE install
					

I recently bought 3 GB of used DDR2 SDRAM (for 8 bucks) for my 2009 Macmini 2,1, to use it as a ceph monitor running GNU/Linux. The machine's CPU is a 64 bits core 2 duo, which is more than enough for my use case. Here's a video …



					www.florentflament.com
				




It reports a few other pitfalls in trying to boot this Mac off of modern installers that might give you more insights, Johneh.


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## Johneh (Oct 8, 2022)

I found nothing in the above that enabled a mount and install.  The key combs on power up did not work.   I appreciate your responses.   Thanks!! jeh


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## Johneh (Oct 8, 2022)

darmokandjalad said:


> I ran FreeBSD on a MacMini of that vintage for a little while a few years ago. I remember starting by performing a clean install of MacOSX Lion, and after that booting off of FreeBSD i386 install media. On a Mac of that vintage, I remember having to hold down the "c" key after powering on in order to boot off of optical media. Holding down Apple/Command + Option after powering on should also present you with a menu to select a boot device. Have you tried either of those?


Tried the key combinations and they did not work.   Thanks for your reply Jeh


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