# Install FreeBSD on a MacBookPro9,1.



## NaWi (Mar 20, 2014)

Hello !

I have a MacBook Pro 9,1 (one before the Retina version) and like to setup a dual boot system using Mac OS X (to update the SMC and firmware, to use things like Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro and so on) and FreeBSD (I think with Fluxbox). 

Mac OS X is based on a BSD so why FreeBSD ? Long story - short answer, I am unhappy with the results of Fink, MacPorts and Homebrew. The people behind the projects do a good work, but sometimes it feels like something half baken (like a virtual machine).

I found no answers to my question, so I thought, I try it here. Has someone some experience to setup FreeBSD on a MacBook Pro ? 

The Hardware information I could provide is the following : Intel Core i7 2,7 GHz Quad Core, Intel HD Graphics 4000 + NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 1GB, Bluetooth Broadcom, SATA Intel, USB Intel, WLAN Firmware : Broadcom BCM43xx.

Some informations like which FreeBSD version I should use, which drivers I should use and from where I get it and so on would be great.

Thanks for answers to my questions.


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## trh411 (Mar 20, 2014)

Have you considered just installing VirtualBox on OSX and creating one or more FreeBSD VMs as needed? If you are intent on dual-booting, there have been a number of discussions on these forums on the subject, and maybe even a Howto (or two) on the FAQ and Howtos Forum. Googling is always a good option too.

For starters, have you read this: FreeBSD Wiki/AppleMacbook? It's a bit dated, but may be a good introduction for you.


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## NaWi (Mar 20, 2014)

My first idea was to use Parallels Desktop and later VirtualBox. Before that I used Homebrew to build things like MCabber, Mutt and update the application which Apple doesn´t care much (vim and so on). Fink provides Fluxbox under X11 / XQuartz what Homebrew not does - on the other hand, Fink has no MCabber at the moment. Use all packet managers at the same time brings many troubles. MacPorts is something between Fink and Homebrew. And Apple´s Clang is a own world ... 

Back to your question, I want a dual boot system instead to use a VM because with every new version of Mac OS X it get´s more mainstream and the design get´s more bad (as I think). So, the time to switch to another OS will come - thats the main reason why I try to solve this now (now I also think to have a solution to move the commercial iTunes content ... music, movies and books). It is good to know, that I can use applications which I bought from Apple - but I also have no problem to use only open source software.

Yes, you are right, there are outdated tutorials. The idea was to solve things faster then to go the hard way - download and try it out.


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## trh411 (Mar 21, 2014)

Google "freebsd and macbook dual boot" and you'll find lots of references, particularly Dual-booting OSX and FreeBSD 9. All the principles will apply to FreeBSD-10.0. The main issue you'll face is setting up the disks and getting FreeBSD to boot, which is where some of the Google references will help, even it they were written for older versions of FreeBSD.

My time to switch from OSX to FreeBSD came about 18 months ago. I now run FreeBSD-11.0-CURRENT on my 2008 iMac as the only OS. My situation was a little more straight-forward than yours since I did not use any Apple or Mac specific software, so I had no compelling reason to run OSX.

Also, do search the FAQ and Howtos Forum. I remember seeing some related topics there.


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## NaWi (Mar 21, 2014)

Yes, I will look at this tutorials but first I should start to read the documentation. Then I will try my luck ... it should work because others show also that it worked.

If Requiem really works, then there are no more bindings to Apple ... but yes, the software was expensive so why not use them from time to time.

Most of the time I used vim, Hakyll and XeLaTeX in the last weeks. Is there a terminal app / script to edit BibTeX (.bib) files ? I am not a fan of Java, so I don´t want to replace BibDesk with JabRef.


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## NaWi (Mar 24, 2014)

Before I downgraded my MBP from Mavericks to Mountain Lion, I gave VirtualBox I try. After downloading the amd64 dvd image and installing VirtualBox the setup was no problem (including the additional guest add ons on FreeBSD). After a working Xorg and Fluxbox, I decided to try to boot the dvd on my MBP. 

Apples boot manager shows the disc as Windows (how I hate this word). And as I tried to boot from it, it stops at the boot loader with the ok prompt. There is no FreeBSD installation on the disc - only the one in the VM of VirtualBox and the content on this disc. I got the message Can´t load kernel as reported in another topic here in the forum (but there FreeBSD was already installed). Nothing hangs and nothing freezes so I tried the lsdev command (I can´t format the commands and output correct because at the moment I have my MBP not here). It shows me nothing in the section cdrom: but the internal HD with 3 partitions. The first is the EFI and the others are labeled as unknown (this are the Mountain Lion installation and the Recovery HD - without whole disc encryption). Even I used the same image to install FreeBSD before in the VM, I tried a old FreeBSD 9.x i386 cd (which I know, that boots correctly on a old Mac Book Black from 2008). The result was the same, also if I installed rEFInd (the fork of rEFIt).

The last thing I tried was to use the amd64 memstick image. I wrote it to the stick using dd. But Apples boot manager don´t show it (at this time rEFInd was already removed).

What I found out long time in the past was, that it is also not possible to boot a old 10.6 Snow Leopard installation DVD on my MBP.


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