FreeBSD EFI projects

[Greg V]

On Wed, Sep 19, 2018 at 6:31 PM, Rodney W. Grimes 
<freebsd-rwg at pdx.rh.CN85.dnsmgr.net> wrote:
>>  On Wed, Sep 19, 2018 at 6:06 PM, Rodney W. Grimes
>>  <freebsd-rwg at pdx.rh.CN85.dnsmgr.net> wrote:
>>  >>  On Wed, Sep 19, 2018 at 5:34 PM, Rodney W. Grimes
>>  >>  <freebsd-rwg at pdx.rh.CN85.dnsmgr.net> wrote:
>>  >>  >>  On 9/18/18 4:11 AM, Greg V wrote:
>>  >>  >>
>>  >>  >>  >
>>  >>  >>  > I can confirm that the kernel already worked fine when 
>> booted
>>  >> from
>>  >>  >>  > 32-bit EFI.
>>  >>  >>  >
>>  >>  >>  > I booted an old Mac into HardenedBSD using a 32-bit-EFI 
>> build
>>  >> of
>>  >>  >> GRUB2 :)
>>  >>  >>
>>  >>  >>
>>  >>  >>  Was that a 64-bit version of FreeBSD? My understanding is 
>> the
>>  >> 32-bit
>>  >>  >>  FreeBSD boots fine, but 64-bit needs work.
>>  >>  >
>>  >>  > You would be hard pressed to find a system with a 64 bit CPU 
>> that
>>  >>  > could run 64 bit FreeBSD that had a 32 bit EFI implementation.
>>  >>
>>  >>  Mac mini 2006 with a Core2Duo instead of the stock CoreDuo (and 
>> the
>>  >>  2007 model's firmware flashed, but I don't think that impacts
>>  >> FreeBSD).
>>  >
>>  > Yes, that is one of the catagories of rare, a EFI-32 bit system 
>> that
>>  > was originally shipped with a 32 bit only CPU, that later got 
>> upgraded
>>  > in the field with a 64 bit CPU, that still runs a EFI-32 bios.
>>  > Are you sure the 2007 firmware is EFI32?  I would of thought
>>  > since they upgraded the base system to a 64 bit CPU they would
>>  > of shipped it with a EFI-64 bios.
>> 
>>  The EFI firmware is technically 64 bit? but it only boots 32-bit
>>  binaries.
>> 
>>  
>> https://everymac.com/mac-answers/snow-leopard-mac-os-x-faq/mac-os-x-snow-leopard-64-bit-macs-64-bit-efi-boot-in-64-bit-mode.html
>>  'Furthermore, it appears that although subsequently released 
>> MacBook,
>>  MacBook Air, and pre-"Mid-2010" Mac mini models all are equipped 
>> with
>>  "Core 2 Duo" 64-bit processors and 64-bit EFIs, Apple has blocked 
>> these
>>  "consumer-targeted" Macs from booting in 64-bit mode. iMac and 
>> MacBook
>>  Pro models released in 2007 with 64-bit EFIs seem to have been 
>> blocked
>>  as well.'
> 
> That is not EFI32, so that is not a test case for how FreeBSD boots
> on EFI32 systems.  That is a restriction apple artificially placed
> in the implementation.

Yeah, maybe not the best test case, but probably the most common one.
What matters to users is that a 32-bit loader (bootia32.efi) is 
required, whether artificially or not.

>>  >>  And probably just the 2007 model as well :)
>>  >>
>>  >>  Also, IIRC there were some Intel Atom tablets with 32-bit EFI.
>>  >
>>  > Atom N2xx and Z5xx series Atom models cannot run x86-64
>> 
>>  Atom Z3740 ? "Instruction Set: 64-bit"
>>  
>> https://ark.intel.com/products/76759/Intel-Atom-Processor-Z3740-2M-Cache-up-to-1_86-GHz
> 
> The above does not say Atom Z3xxx.  If you find a Atom
> N2xx or Z5xx based system it most certainly has a EFI32.
> 
>> 
>>  The tablet in question: ASUS VivoTab Note 8 (M80TA)
>>  https://www.asus.com/us/Tablets/ASUS_VivoTab_Note_8_M80TA/
> 
> I can not find enough detail to know for certain that tablet
> actually has which version of EFI.
> You are saying it has EFI32?  And if so based on what information?

Heard from someone that it only took 32-bit efi binaries.

Other Z3xxx users report the same:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/775498/ubuntu-on-32-bit-uefi-only-based-tablet-pc