14.2 and an OLD laptop

K

KenGordon

So....I have this old laptop from 2004. With 32-bit XP installed on it and working. But I want to switch it to FreeBSD 14.2- RELEASE. So I download the i386 version of it and install it on a bootable flash-drive using Rufus. Poke it in the laptop, set up the laptop to boot off the USB drive. Start laptop.

I get a boot: prompt.

I hit enter.

The FreeBSD boot menu shows up,
I hit enter again.

Says: Loading Kernel

System loads to the point where it says: pcio: <ACPI...>, waits a few minutes, then turns the computer off.

What's up with this?

Is this laptop simply too old to do anything with?

Ken Gordon
 
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Insufficient data for meaningful answer, indeed

Have you tried booting single user to see what happens?

Maybe check the BIOS to see if it has something to do with AHCI?
 
Well, the reason I didn't mention the brand or model of the laptop is because I REEEEEELLY doubt that anyone here has even heard of it.

FYI, it is a SYSTEMAX model DL75. CPU is a 2 GHz Intel Centrino with 2 GB RAM and a 160 GB HD. BIOS is Insyde, but dunno the version.

I apparently built it many years ago, and subsequently forgot I had it. Our youngest son found it while cleaning up our basement. To my surprise, it fired right up and appears to run fine. OPSYS is WIndows XP Pro. And it weighs a ton....well...almost. It also has a built-in CD burner.

BUT. at this point, I can't install FreeBSD on it...yet.

Ken Gordon
 
KenGordon I get where you're coming from but within tech details matter. And... Google & Bing are a thing too => lookie, lookie! (pardon my silly comment, but I really enjoy threads like these; diving into some nostalgia is always fun IMO!).

So we're basically talking about what could be considered an Acer, which is more commonly known brand. Still...

I'd definitely follow up on some of the suggestions above: single user mode, but also look into your other boot options like turning off ACPI (on by default, and it ties directly into your power). Also enable verbose mode to see what that might do.

And, well, as much as I don't like this suggestion => a Linux live CD might also provide some more insights into what is happening here.

Hope this can give you some ideas.
 
Is it really a 32-bit cpu? You can check what instruction set your cpu supports by looking it up on https://ark.intel.com. If it is, the i386 version of freebsd may still install, but bear in mind that freebsd has EOL'd 32-bit support, as per this thread.

G

Thread 'HEADS UP: FreeBSD is stopping all 32-bit Hardware support except ARMv7'

32-bit got culled in active development branch 15.0-CURRENT.
Now we know what it means getting on the downhill tier-path.

First comes Tier2 then Tier3 and then death. No more i386. So sad.

Sadly there is no communication on such decisions and it is kept silently in the dark. Nothing that can be used for PR-attention and celebrating loyalty.
It may hit you without notice and hurt your investments.

https://www.freebsd.org/platforms/

If that affects you take the 2024 Community Survey now. Last day last chance...
  • Thanks

I've got a thinkpad X60s which has a 32-bit core2 cpu inside, and it runs an older version of freebsd fine, I can't even remember what it's running, probably version 10 or something like that, I haven't booted it in a while.

But since freebsd has end of lifed 32-bit, personally I wouldn't bother with the systemax, since it won't be supported after the next major release, which is 15.

If you want a nice cheap laptop to try out freebsd, you can't do better than grab an old thinkpad from ebay or your local e-waste supplier. The X200 thru X220 series are very nice machines, the hardware is robustly built and high quality, and you can pick them up for peanuts nowadays, as in 0-100 dollars. I'm running an X201 for example. Or if you want something a bit more swish then you can try an X1 carbon, the ebay prices of the early versions are very cheap now (corporate disposals, there are hundreds of them on the market). And that level of hardware has enough balls to run some of the nice modern software you may want to try out like kde plasma.
 
ShelLuser said:
KenGordon I get where you're coming from but within tech details matter. And... Google & Bing are a thing too => lookie, lookie! (pardon my silly comment, but I really enjoy threads like these; diving into some nostalgia is always fun IMO!).

So we're basically talking about what could be considered an Acer, which is more commonly known brand. Still...
Click to expand...

Ha ha! :) I am amazed that showed up. But that only really says that an Acer battery will work in the Systemax device. Still....as you say... 🤙

ShelLuser said:
I'd definitely follow up on some of the suggestions above: single user mode, but also look into your other boot options like turning off ACPI (on by default, and it ties directly into your power). Also enable verbose mode to see what that might do.

And, well, as much as I don't like this suggestion => a Linux live CD might also provide some more insights into what is happening here.

Hope this can give you some ideas.
Click to expand...

Yes. It does. I'll, first, disable ACPI (which I SHOULD have thought of first anyway) then if that doesn't work, will try single user mode.

BTW, speaking of "nostalgia" the first HDD I ever saw that was available for a "small" computer system was less than 5 MB capable, and had a 1/4 HP electric motor installed on top of it. It weighed around 20 lbs (or around 10 kg). And later, a 5 MB HDD from Radio Shack cost $4995.00

I also remember the installation of a DEC mainframe at the College of Montana in Bozeman which included at least 6 HDDs which were the size of a clothes-washing machine and were only capable of 500 MB each. The platters in those things were at least 1/2 inch thick and around 18" in diameter.

I was impressed.

And the first "micro-computer" I ever worked on, a Southwest Technical Products kit, included 1K (!) of RAM which cost $1500.00 at the time.

Ken Gordon
 
Well, the old SYSTEMAX laptop is robust as heck, and I really hate to throw out old tech. In fact, my favorite radios in my ham station are from WWII. Just because it is old tech doesn't mean it is bad tech. Some of my 80 year old radios work at least as well as modern sand-state rigs do.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlz83QXM66A


So, in this case, if FreeBSD 14.2 still supports 32 bit architecture, I'll use that.

Thanks for the help, folks. As usual, you always come through for me.

BTW, I'll be 83 years old this coming April 23.

Later.

Ken Gordon
 
IMG_20250405_210206.jpg

Just for fun, here's my X201 running FreeBSD 14.2 Very nice hardware for the kind of money you can pick them up for now. I would say that generation of thinkpads were up to genuine IBM grade. You can put 8GB RAM in this baby, it makes a very nice freebsd box. Built like a tank too, cast magnesium chassis, and it has the 'real' thinkpad keyboard. As used on the ISS :)
 
blackbird9 said:
View attachment 22158
Just for fun, here's my X201 running FreeBSD 14.2 Very nice hardware for the kind of money you can pick them up for now. I would say that generation of thinkpads were almost up to genuine IBM grade. You can put 8GB RAM in this baby, it makes a very nice freebsd box. Built like a tank too, cast magnesium chassis, and it has the 'real' thinkpad keyboard. As used on the ISS :)
Click to expand...
I just installed 14.2 on my x201t!! I am hoping to figure out the tablet portion. Sorry to hijack your thread, but I too wanted to chime in with old tech can still be good tech!
 
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