# Question regarding UEFI



## vlkmslf (Nov 2, 2013)

Hey! I just love FreeBSD but I'm using Arch Linux at the moment because FreeBSD has yet to implement UEFI boot support and I have no qualifications what so ever to do it myself.

So what I'm asking is. When (if possible to tell) will FreeBSD AMD64 boot from EFI machines with GPT disks?


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## vlkmslf (Nov 4, 2013)

I have been looking around in the forums and also done some googling so there definitely seems to be work in project. 11.0 has been mentioned. I don't mind running CURRENT!


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## vlkmslf (Nov 15, 2013)

Nobody knows anything? UEFI and FreeBSD? If someone knows please reply in this thread or feel free to send me a private message. That is all. Greetings, vlkmslf.


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## drhowarddrfine (Nov 15, 2013)

My motherboard has UEFI on a Gigabyte Z77 and I'm running FreeBSD 9.2 with GPT for several months now. Did you search this board about this? I know there is a recent discussion.


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## vlkmslf (Nov 16, 2013)

drhowarddrfine said:
			
		

> My motherboard has UEFI on a Gigabyte Z77 and I'm running FreeBSD 9.2 with GPT for several months now. Did you search this board about this? I know there is a recent discussion.


I'm mostly asking if there is an official implementation for booting UEFI with GPT schemes. I don't want to enable the CSM just to boot an OS.


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## vlkmslf (Nov 16, 2013)

vlkmslf said:
			
		

> I'm mostly asking if there is an official implementation for booting UEFI with GPT schemes. I don't want to enable the CSM just to boot an OS.


With CSM enabled I couldn't boot MBR or GPT partition tables with FreeBSD.


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## SirDice (Nov 16, 2013)

My machines boot just fine with UEFI and GPT disks. Although I do need to set CSM to legacy boot. 

There's currently no UEFI boot possible but there is work being done to get it working. It should be slated for 10.1 and hopefully 9.3.


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## kpa (Nov 16, 2013)

This is as official as it gets:

https://wiki.freebsd.org/UEFI


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## vlkmslf (Nov 16, 2013)

Thank you friends. My questions have been answered!


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## Ph4nt0mBSD (Dec 29, 2013)

I have CSM enabled to legacy mode, and I still can't boot up FreeBSD 10.  In the boot menu it doesn't even show the freebsd FreeBSD disk!!! woot ?.  Even on legacy mode I still can't boot up freebsd FreeBSD 10. I have a*n* Acer Aspire One M3420. *S*adly *I* have to use *W*indows loader to boot up my freebsd FreeBSD 10 system by using easyBCD, and make a freebsd FreeBSD boot menu on *W*indows loader.  I want to get rid of *W*indows, but if *I* do that *I* will no longer be able to boot up freebsd FreeBSD so *I* am right now force*d* to keep *W*indows or *I* won't have any OS to work on if *I* take it off.

I wish by now freebsd FreeBSD 10 would have uefi UEFI support geez *I* mean *I* can boot up openbsd OpenBSD and openindiana OpenIndiana on my *A*cer *PC*, but with my favorite OS FreeBSD *I* can't. its It's really sad now that the new PCs have this UEFI crap*,* but what can we do? *A*nyhow*,* if anyone can help me get a boot disk or disc to boot my freebsd FreeBSD HDD disk or make my GPT bootable on my PC that would be great. 

Thanks.


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## sossego (Dec 29, 2013)

Both the mailing lists and here mention UEFI development and support.

http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/free ... 45035.html

Damned if I can remember but two of the forum members here wanted also to work on it.


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## Ph4nt0mBSD (Dec 29, 2013)

I sort*ed* it out by using scheme MBR instead of GPT. The *d*isk is now bootable.


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## asteriskRoss (Jan 6, 2014)

@Ph4nt0mBSD:

UEFI is a great and long overdue step forward over MBR booting in real mode which has been with us since the original 8086 processors.  Changing the way all x86 computers boot was always going to be painful, which I suspect is why it was put off for so long.  The transition stage (that we're in now) is particularly awkward as PC manufacturers need to support both new and existing operating systems, meaning supporting two entirely incompatible methods of booting.

Having starting looking at UEFI development (unrelated to FreeBSD), I have found that it is often the manufacturers' differing implementations of a dual UEFI/legacy BIOS that causes issues.  Some implementations seem to see a GPT partition scheme and switch to UEFI only booting.  This may be the issue that you experienced, and why it was solved by changing to MBR partitioning.  I have also heard of implementations that do not offer a legacy boot option with GPT partitioning when an EFI partition exists.

Like you, I'm looking forward to FreeBSD UEFI support in a forthcoming release


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