All your laptops are belong to Windows.

[Ted Mittelstaedt]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org]On Behalf Of bsdnooby
> Sent: Monday, February 14, 2005 11:33 PM
> To: freebsd-questions at freebsd.org; freebsd-mobile at freebsd.org
> Subject: All your laptops are belong to Windows.
>
>
>
> I'm defeated.  The FreeBSD install gives no hints as to why it
> turns off
> my laptop.
>
> When I try to install FreeBSD, my brand new I'm blue.HP
> Pavilion laptop
> turns itself off.  It does not matter if I use 4.x or 5.x, CD or
> floppies.  There is no error log since it just shuts off after
> I choose
> to load a kernel.  I have tried loading with ACPI off, and it does not
> help.  I believe I tried all the kernel options available from
> the menu
> on 5.x.
>

After reading that 4.X is killing it, my guess is that what's going on
is that one of the device drivers compiled into the kernel that is
for a piece of hardware that is NOT on your laptop is issuing a probe
that is hitting a port that HP decided to use for something.

If you really wanted to, and you have a system already running 5.X,
it is possible to compile a custom kernel that has all device drivers
stripped out of it, then put this kernel onto the first install floppy
and do a floppy install of FreeBSD.  Then make sure a copy of that kernel
exists on the system when you reboot.

This is a long and complicated procedure, unfortunately, and since
your laptop is brand new, probably isn't worth it since you can simply
return the laptop to the store and get a different one.  (since it's
under the 30 day return policy)

Before you do that though it would be very kind if you could please
submit
a PR for this so we can get it documented.

I also still think that the ACPI could possibly be at fault.  I know that
there's an option to disable ACPI probes, but I had a similar problem
with a different system back in the early 4.X series of FreeBSD.  I
forget
the version of FreeBSD that they introduced ACPI support, but I clearly
recall the prior version of FreeBSD booting and running on a desktop,
then the next 4.x version which had ACPI, not booting on this system,
despite turning off the ACPI probe.  As I recall a BIOS update from
the manufacturer fixed the problem.  (ACPI still didn't work but at least
the diskettes booted)

Of course, since power management on a laptop is pretty required, an
exercise in getting a stripped kernel running on that Pavilion is purely
academic.

> The computer is a HP Pavilion zv5445us, with 512MB RAM, P4-3Ghz, 100GB
> HD, 15.4" Hi-Def Screen, 54G 802.11b WLAN.  I purchased it
> from Best Buy.
>

Best Buy is fairly good at taking exchanges within 30 days.  Their
written
policy kind of threatens a restocking charge of 15% on opened notebook
computers -
but the exception is if the item is defective.  In your case you have a
grey area, but if you were to take it back and tell them that the system
is periodically shutting itself down and you want to exchange it for a
different model because you don't have any confidence in the zv5445us,
they wouldn't be able to verify this and you could probably talk your way
out of the restock charge, PARTICULARLY if you bought the item on a
credit
card - since credit card issuers generally take a dim view of restock
fees on consumer items.  I have had a family member do this exact thing
with a laptop he bought from there a few years ago.  (it wasn't a FreeBSD
thing, the laptop was just not very well made and he ended up buying a
more expensive laptop from them)  This is also particularly if you bring
back ALL OF
the original packing materials AND THE SOFTWARE particularly if it's
unopened,
and repack the laptop in it's box.  Remember
that Best Buy has to send the thing back to HP and if it breaks in
transit
and it wasn't in the factory cardboard, HP is going to charge Best Buy
for the loss.

> abruptly shutdown when trying to do the install.  It turns off before
> the install really starts, so I do not have much information to solve
> this problem.  The HD is never touched.
>
> I'm blue.
>

Don't be.  The project doesen't intend for end users to solve these
sorts of problems, frankly.  Return the laptop and get a different model
which will probably work fine and consider it a learning experience.

There's enough people within the Project that have contacts within HP
that if a decently-written PR was filed, it could be quitely handled
within HP.  I must warn you though that unless a PR is filed, nobody
is going to bother with a complaint on a mailing list.  You can file a
PR from any FreeBSD system you have.  See the handbook for details.

A PR also documents the problem so that other potential purchasers
will know to avoid the problem model.

Ted