# Install freebsd 11.3 i386



## mindware (Mar 24, 2020)

Hi. I'm very happy with Debian 10. But u know...once u tried it, u want more XD
So, I'm downloading FreeBSD-11.3-RELEASE-i386-disc1.iso and I'll try to install it using WiFi and booting it from a USB key (since files for install from usb aren't recognized by dc3dd/dd/whichever
So, I'm very exciting! Hope this time this work.
Anyway, I'll be reporting!
Bye!
Edit: Sorry, I don't want to use WiFi unless I need it.


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## SirDice (Mar 25, 2020)

mindware said:


> So, I'm downloading FreeBSD-11.3-RELEASE-i386-disc1.iso and I'll try to install it using WiFi and booting it from a USB key (since files for install from usb aren't recognized by dc3dd/dd/whichever


We have specific images for USB sticks. Use those. Do you really need 32 bit? Use the AMD64 images for 64 bit. Despite its name it's not specifically for AMD processors. AMD was just the first. AMD64 and Intel 64 refer to the same thing; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86-64









						Chapter 2. Installing FreeBSD
					

Guide about how to install FreeBSD, the minimum hardware requirements and supported architectures, how to create the installation media, etc




					www.freebsd.org


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## eternal_noob (Mar 25, 2020)

SirDice said:


> Do you really need 32 bit? Use the AMD64 images for 64 bit.


I have a 64 bit CPU but i am using the i386 image as well because i have low memory (1GB of RAM). The i386 image works much better for me because of the lower memory footprint.

With the 64 bit image i get awful lags which are not existent with i386.


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## ColorfulOne (Mar 25, 2020)

My computer is very old. In fact it is so old that I can't even boot off of DVD's. I have to use CD's, so I had no choice but verstion 11.3 i386 on CD. I tried installing AMD64 on my i386. and it did not work. However, there could have been other factors. After reading this, "Modern PCs use the amd64 architecture, including those with Intel® branded processors. Computers with more than 3 GB of memory should use amd64. If the computer is an older, 32-bit only model, use i386" found here: https://www.freebsd.org/where.html. I stuck with i386. With that being said, I would really like to know if AMD64 can run on i386 assuming I had a DVD.


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## SirDice (Mar 25, 2020)

ColorfulOne said:


> I would really like to know if AMD64 can run on i386 assuming I had a DVD.


If your CPU has support for Intel 64, then yes. If your CPU doesn't support Intel 64, then no. Intel 64 and AMD64 are the same thing.

Intel used to have a different 64 bit architecture, called IA-64. It was used in the Itanium range CPUs. That's something else though. IA-64 is NOT compatible and cannot run 32 bit i386 binaries for example.

AMD64/Intel 64 are actually _extensions_ to the original IA-32 instruction set used on the i386 compatible CPUs. This made it possible to run both 32 and 64 bit code on the same CPU. That's why you can still run "old" 32 bit code on a modern 64 bit CPU.


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## mindware (Mar 25, 2020)

Thanks.
But I've read in the doc, more specifically:
https://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/bsdinstall-pre.html
, in the part that says:

```
-dvd1.iso: This file contains all        of the files needed to install FreeBSD, its source, and the        Ports Collection.  It also contains a set of popular        binary packages for installing a window manager and some        applications so that a complete system can be installed        from media without requiring a connection to the Internet.        This file should be burned to a DVD        using a DVD burning application.
```
Which is exactly what I want. You'll see, I don't want to use the WiFi (unless it will be extremely necessary, since the signal it's poor), and, when I read this, I thought that all the contents necessary for a complete install where in a single file.
Sorry for don't explain it properly. I'll edit this for prevent future bad-understands.


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## mindware (Mar 26, 2020)

SirDice You're right. I'm bad. I've tried to burn the iso and run it in an amd64 with no success. Now I'll try with the usb-memstick.


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## nunotex (Mar 27, 2020)

freebsd_noob said:


> I have a 64 bit CPU but i am using the i386 image as well because i have low memory (1GB of RAM). The i386 image works much better for me because of the lower memory footprint.
> 
> With the 64 bit image i get awful lags which are not existent with i386.



I run 12.1 amd64 on a 1GB old laptop. Think I will try to run i386 and see if I get performance improvements.

I got some issues with booting i386 memstick images:
11.3: "cannot load kernel"
12.1: "cannot open /boot/lua/loader.lua"
Current: don't boot at all

11.2: OK
12.0: OK


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