# FreeBSD on Raspberry Pi Model B+ (Plus)



## groovemonkey (Sep 28, 2014)

Hi there,

I'm trying to get FreeBSD 10 or -CURRENT running on a Raspberry Pi Model B+ (2014). I initially followed this tutorial: https://wiki.freebsd.org/FreeBSD/arm/Raspberry Pi , realizing too late that I'd missed the following information:



> 2013-12-12: Please notice that there is a new version if the RPi out, called the "micron", recognizable by the "M with orbit" logo on the chip. These require the newest firmware files (bootcode.bin, start.elf and possibly config.txt) None of the prebuilt images have these at this time, and trying to boot them gives you a single short flash of the green LED and no more.



The way I was thinking of solving this was by simply compiling FreeBSD myself, but FreeBSD doesn't support my laptop's graphics/network hardware, so I'd have to cross-compile from Linux -- as far as I can tell, that's a nightmare that I don't want to get into right now. Are there binaries/images for the Raspberry Pi B+ already in existence somewhere?

Or should I rent time on a FreeBSD machine "in the cloud" and follow these instructions: http://kernelnomicon.org/?p=275?

Any guidance would be appreciated, thanks!


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## acheron (Sep 28, 2014)

Hi,

You can grab precompiled images here: ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/snaps ... SO-IMAGES/. You just have to dd it on an SD card. Don't forget to update the firmware of your Raspberry Pi or the network device won't attach (https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware ... aster/boot).


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## groovemonkey (Sep 28, 2014)

Strange. I used this image: ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/snaps ... -B.img.bz2 (from the directory you're linking to) and experienced the problem quoted above -- the first time I booted, I got a screen of text asking me if I wanted to commit a partition; when I rebooted, I got a blinking green light and then only a red (pwr) light.

There's a note in the FreeBSD ARM wiki warning that there are no binaries for the B+ board yet. I figured that was the issue.

I'll play around a bit more and post something if I find working binaries.

Thanks for your help!


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## groovemonkey (Oct 10, 2014)

I just found this topic: http://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewt ... 85&t=82494. That also links here, which seems to solve it for people: http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/free ... 08872.html.

Recap:

Download the OS image from here: ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/relea ... -B.img.bz2.
Update the firmware (overwrite with this): https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware ... aster/boot.

Hope that helps someone.


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## SirDice (Oct 22, 2014)

groovemonkey said:


> The way I was thinking of solving this was by simply compiling FreeBSD myself, but FreeBSD doesn't support my laptop's graphics/network hardware, so I'd have to cross-compile from Linux -- as far as I can tell, that's a nightmare that I don't want to get into right now.


Instead of cross-compiling you could use XEN, KVM or VirtualBox to run a virtual FreeBSD on Linux.


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## nsayer (Nov 13, 2014)

I just went through this exercise and, sure enough, installing the 10.0 RELEASE ISO onto the card and then updating fix*, start* and bootcode.bin on the FAT partition worked a treat.

Oh, I also had to set 
	
	



```
hdmi_force_hotplug=1
```
 in config.txt to get video.


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## free-and-bsd (Nov 24, 2014)

Hey folks ,  I'm trying to figure out if it's worth it. You know what I'm talking about: I got a PC, got a laptop, now also got a tablet and don't want to end up flooded with computer junk at my home (it's already the case ).

So tell me, please, is it usable as a simple moderate-use desktop? Like one based on fvwm2 with libreoffice, for example? _Bec_ause if it is, it will be something different from both tablet and laptop in the terms of usability+ and portability, it being much smaller than a laptop yet more usable than a tablet. So what do you say?


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## wblock@ (Nov 24, 2014)

It is only smaller than a laptop if it has no display and keyboard.


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## free-and-bsd (Nov 24, 2014)

Yes, MUCH smaller, and that's exactly what seems interesting to me. Because you can supposedly connect it to no matter what monitor and use any USB keyboard found around...


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## beatgammit (Nov 25, 2014)

free-and-bsd said:


> Hey folks ,  I'm trying to figure out if it's worth it. You know what I'm talking about: I got a PC, got a laptop, now also got a tablet and don't want to end up flooded with computer junk at my home (it's already the case ).
> 
> So tell me, please, is it usable as a simple moderate-use desktop? Like one based on fvwm2 with libreoffice, for example? _Bec_ause if it is, it will be something different from both tablet and laptop in the terms of usability+ and portability, it being much smaller than a laptop yet more usable than a tablet. So what do you say?



I haven't tried it, but according to a search LibreOffice should work on the Pi. Since there are no binary packages on FreeBSD for ARM, it would take a while to build everything, so you should definitely run `make config-recursive` first and let it run. I don't know how long it will take or if there are any special flags needed to compile it that the Makefile doesn't provide.

As for whether it's worth it, I'd say yes! Even if the desktop isn't responsive enough, it's really cheap and there's a lot you can do with it aside from being a desktop.


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## a59303 (Nov 25, 2014)

free-and-bsd said:


> Yes, MUCH smaller, and that's exactly what seems interesting to me. Because you can supposedly connect it to no matter what monitor and use any USB keyboard found around...




I think that might be somewhat inaccurate, depending on what you have lying around.  For instance in my case I have an old TV with SVGA inputs that I am having a great deal of trouble with using because the text is spilling off the screen.  Other monitors like old ones without HDMI will not hook up either.  I think that one can get adapters to correct this but it is not all that simple.

a5'


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## free-and-bsd (Nov 25, 2014)

beatgammit said:


> I haven't tried it, but according to a search LibreOffice should work on the Pi. Since there are no binary packages on FreeBSD for ARM, it would take a while to build everything, so you should definitely run `make config-recursive` first and let it run. I don't know how long it will take or if there are any special flags needed to compile it that the Makefile doesn't provide.
> ...


 Oh it's all right, why else have I built a PC with 16 GB of memory and a good processor? Time to make some use of these resources .


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## fiskerendk (Dec 16, 2014)

Today I tried with FreeBSD 10.1 RELEASE and RPI B+. But it does not Work for me. Anyone have an idea why?

I updated firmware with the files from:
https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/tree/master/boot

But when it boots it write the following

```
In: serial
Out: lcd
Err: lcd
mbox: Timeout waiting for response
bcm2835: Could not set USB power state
Net: Net Initialization Skipped
No ethernet found.
....

/boot/kernel/kernel data=0x3f2038+0x1f620 syms=[0x4+0x7dd50+0x4+0x5fb94]
Hit [Enter] to boot immediately, or any other key for command prompt.
Type '?' for a list of commands, 'help' for more detailed help.
loader>
```

Keyboard does not Work at this point. Every USB port tried. 3 different keyboards including a Wireless were tried.

Best Regards
Thomas Nissen


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## a59303 (Dec 16, 2014)

How did you prepare the image media?  What are you using to put the firmware on the media?
It looks as though you are not getting through the first part of the boot sequence.
These seem like good questions to begin with.  Although I would think you may want to start a thread with this as the title.

a5'

Also--
From the link mentioned at the beginning of this thread
https://wiki.freebsd.org/FreeBSD/arm/Raspberry Pi 


> 2014-10-18: The firmware included in the official images has been updated to support B+ model.


This can be found near the bottom of that page.  So, I think that you do not have to add the firmware.


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## fiskerendk (Dec 17, 2014)

a59303 > Hi, i prepared the image like before. The same SD Card/FreeBSD installation working perfectly in a B-non+ board with the original firmware files. But when changing the firmware files bootcode.bin, start.elf etc. it fails with the problem before. So maybe its not only a problem with the B+ but the firmware files it self.

The firmware files is just replaced by mounting the sd Card in a Windows PC. Maybe the problem lays here.


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## a59303 (Dec 17, 2014)

I think you may not need the firmware, as I mentioned in the end of my post.  I realized this in the process of writing it.

a5'


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## fiskerendk (Dec 17, 2014)

But when I try with the original firmware from (FreeBSD 10.1-RELEASE), the RPI doesn't boot.


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## beatgammit (Dec 17, 2014)

free-and-bsd said:


> Oh it's all right, why else have I built a PC with 16 GB of memory and a good processor? Time to make some use of these resources .



If you're going to cross-compile the ports, then this blog post and this wiki page may be helpful. I haven't done either, so good luck. If you'll be compiling several ports, this may be a worthwhile time investment.


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## a59303 (Dec 17, 2014)

fiskerendk said:


> But when i with the original firmware from (FreeBSD 10.1-RELEASE), the RPI dosent boot.



So you're saying you are writing the image FreeBSD-10.0-RELEASE-arm-armv6-RPI-B-20140131-r260789.img.bz2
from here,
ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/snapshots/arm/armv6/ISO-IMAGES/10.0/
with a disk/card writer (dd) from windows and that is not booting?

a5'


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## fiskerendk (Dec 17, 2014)

No I'm writing this ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/r.../FreeBSD-10.1-RELEASE-arm-armv6-RPI-B.img.bz2 to the card.

It's working perfectly on my rpi b-non+.

Moving the card to b+ gives black screen and no boot.

Replacing firmware files (bootcode.bin, start.elf, .... ) from above gives me the boot written earlier where no kernel is loaded but the screen is at least not black. With updated firmware the problem is on both b and b+.


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## a59303 (Dec 17, 2014)

Oh, what are you using to transfer it.  I had some problems with OpenSUSE reading and writing to the chip/card after the initial write.  That is what I suspected anyway.  I have a model B so I am not really prepared to solve this.  Additionally though, the wiki page has links and on that page it says that the firmware is included.  I would probably try that image.
At least that is what I am thinking.

a5'


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## fiskerendk (Dec 22, 2014)

Thank you very much. I replaced the firmware/boot files with the ones from the 10.1-STABLE image.
ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/s...ABLE-arm-armv6-RPI-B-20141207-r275566.img.bz2

Merry Christmas


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## a59303 (Dec 22, 2014)

Fantastic,
Good idea.
Same to you!

a5'


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## Carl T. Miller (Jul 10, 2016)

I'm not having any success getting 10.3 stable to boot on the RPI B+.  I've tried following suggestions in this thread, and I've even tried copying the msdos files from a working RaspBSD 11 image.  No luck.  Does anyone have instructions for 10.3 stable or a link to an image that boots?


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## a59303 (Jul 10, 2016)

I spent time at these places when I was getting it to boot (this was quite some time ago though).

https://wiki.freebsd.org/FreeBSD/arm/Raspberry Pi

https://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-arm

http://elinux.org/RPi_Hub

I think, if I remember correctly, I used a FreeBSD 11 image, and burned it directly to a SSD using dd().  I didn't transfer anything although in my case I had to edit the config.txt file to accommodate my TV-Monitor.

If you don't know how to use dd() try the man page.  I don't really have the confidence to instruct someone with it, It can wipe your drive I think though. 

I probably used this file.
FreeBSD-11.0-CURRENT-arm-armv6-RPI-B.img
http://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/snapshots/ISO-IMAGES/11.0/


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