Re: https://github.com/pftf/RPi4 unusable for FreeBSD since at least Sept 2023

On Jan 20, 2024, at 05:31, void <void@f-m.fm> wrote:

> Hello,

Hello.

> On Fri, 19 Jan 2024, at 18:01, Mike Karels wrote:
> 
>> Just for the record, I have 14.0 running on an rpi4 on a USB SSD, and had
>> no problems setting it up.  I think I just copied the boot partition from
>> the SD image.  I didn't use bsdinstall, however.  Also, I just booted and
>> configured this week's 15-current snapshot on an SD card with no problem.
> 
> Writing 14-stable rpi image to usb3 (from another freebsd box), unplugging it
> then plugging it into the usb3 port of the rpi4 then booting works for me.
> Same goes for -current. This installation method creates MBR partitions with
> all of freebsd on / which I don't want.

Not that it meets all your criiteria, but I actually use
the Rock64 image which is GPT and copy over the msdsfs
content from a (temporary) rpi-arm64 image. That gives
me a GPT image that works just fine.

Two reasons for Rock64: I've access to one and it looks
to be the one with the biggest space before the msdosfs
partition. So there is room to replace most any u-boot
(plus whatever) without ending upp overlapping the
msdosfs and messing things up.

(But, getting the Rock64 to boot the world from USB3
historically means that I actually use a microsd card
for everything through the FreeBSD kernel but have the
kernel get the world from USB3. May be someday the
U-Boot will support the USB3 so things could be more
normal.)

> I wanted several ufs partitions

The above does not do that part.

> (I don't want zfs at all) and GPT which is why 
> I went down the bsdinstall route.

It does get GPT.

> For some reason, copying the boot partition from the sd card and rebooting
> to usb3 didn't work for me, the last time I tried it. It has worked in the past. 
> That's when I entered the rabbit hole of trying the latest from pftf/RPi4. 
> 

===
Mark Millard
marklmi at yahoo.com