Can Mac OS X be removed and completely replaced by freeBSD

Ok, I believe that I got it. Somewhere online, I read that I had to put the file in a folder then burn it. Clearly, one does not do this. It was a readable disk but would not work. I burned straight to this dvd, and reinserted it. I got an error message about it not being readable by this system.
However, I selected ignore and restarted my iMac while pressing the alt/option button and it showed up as ya'll said that it would.
Now to try it on the older iMac
 
NapoleonWils0n said:
Hi Mate

I have a complete guide on installing Freebsd on mac hardware

When you install Freebsd 12 set the partition scheme to bios+uefi,
that will make Freebsd auto boot after 2 or 3 seconds,
otherwise it will fall back to legacy boot and take 30 seconds for the boot menu to show up

My freebsd notes from the last 18 months are on github,
if they are of any use

Let me know if you need help getting Freebsd set up on a mac
Click to expand...
I'm trying to install, and things seem to sort of work. However, when I get into an options menu, I can't seem to select any of them.
I can move through the options with the arrow keys, but no key that I try will, select, I guess by trying to enter an * the box to the left.
I am using an Apple usb keyboard, and selected the default keyboard. This is really impacting me when I setting the zfs scheme and drive.
I was able to get through a beginners kind of option install, but I would like to implement your suggestions.
 
OldSubSailor said:
I'm trying to install, and things seem to sort of work. However, when I get into an options menu, I can't seem to select any of them.
I can move through the options with the arrow keys, but no key that I try will, select, I guess by trying to enter an * the box to the left.
I am using an Apple usb keyboard, and selected the default keyboard. This is really impacting me when I setting the zfs scheme and drive.
I was able to get through a beginners kind of option install, but I would like to implement your suggestions.
Click to expand...
HI Mate

Use the space bar to select an option, or press space again to deselect
 
NapoleonWils0n said:
HI Mate

Use the space bar to select an option, or press space again to deselect
Click to expand...
thank you. I did discover that I can click the mouse pointer in a box if I find the exact "sweet spot". I also found that I had to press the tab key in order to select various buttons <ok>; <cancel> in some windows that had data in them. Clicking on the buttons would just add more strange text to the data. The space bar appears to have done the trick for selecting my HD for the zfs partition and the other boxes.
 
OldSubSailor said:
thank you. I did discover that I can click the mouse pointer in a box if I find the exact "sweet spot". I also found that I had to press the tab key in order to select various buttons <ok>; <cancel> in some windows that had data in them. Clicking on the buttons would just add more strange text to the data. Alas, I have as of yet to get the zfs partition to work; can't select my hard drive although it is listed in the zfs configuration window. Perhaps I should start a new thread about that?
Click to expand...
Have you tried pressing tab and then pressing space to select the drive in the zfs config window,
and then tab to the ok button and pressing enter
 
NapoleonWils0n said:
You just need to select the drive like you have selected other options by pressing the space bar which adds a * next to option
Click to expand...
That is exactly what I did and it worked. Only my ada0 drive was showing but it was unselected until I pressed space. I wonder why if this is such an auto process, and only one drive showing, it was not auto selected. Drat, getting old is a real pain in many ways.
 
NapoleonWils0n said:
My take is that is BSD waits to be told what to do by the user,
whereas Mac OSX takes the Nanny knows best approach
Click to expand...
well, evidently so.
I have been playing with unix for a bit (using the old Kernighan THE UNIX PROGRAMMING ENVIRONMENT book, just for the sense of history) but I hate that block cursor. So after looking around for a bit, I found what is supposed to be a way to change it, but here is what happened:
$ vidcontrol -c normal, blink, noblock
vidcontrol: ioctl(CONS_GETCURSOR SHAPE): Inappropriate ioctl for device

So now I am at a loss about what to do about changing it, if possible. Evidently if I could using the vidcontrol command; I would not be able to change it to a vertical line, which I prefer, and use on the terminal on this iMac. Even an underscore is better, to me, than that block.
 
As aragats wrote try:
Code: 
[LIST]
[*]Insert a blank DVD or CD into the Mac
[*]Launch the Terminal and type the following command:
[*]hdiutil burn ~/Path/To/DiskImageFile.iso
[/LIST]
 
OldSubSailor said:
well, evidently so.
I have been playing with unix for a bit (using the old Kernighan THE UNIX PROGRAMMING ENVIRONMENT book, just for the sense of history) but I hate that block cursor. So after looking around for a bit, I found what is supposed to be a way to change it, but here is what happened:
$ vidcontrol -c normal, blink, noblock
vidcontrol: ioctl(CONS_GETCURSOR SHAPE): Inappropriate ioctl for device

So now I am at a loss about what to do about changing it, if possible. Evidently if I could using the vidcontrol command; I would not be able to change it to a vertical line, which I prefer, and use on the terminal on this iMac. Even an underscore is better, to me, than that block.
Click to expand...
HI Mate

So you managed to install Freebsd have you installed a Desktop or Window Manager,
or are not using X

Its is possible to change the block cursor depending on the terminal you use,
for instance urxvt has an option you can add to your ~/.Xresources to enable an underlined cursor

Bash: 
URxvt.cursorUnderline: 1

Then reload the ~/.Xresources file and open a new terminal to see the change

Bash: 
xrdb -merge ~/.Xresources

I use the i3wm tiling window manager

id just install a window manager or light weight desktop like mate, xfce or lxde,
then install a terminal and change the cursor to an underscore, job done

I have a block cursor i could change the shape but its never bothered me

What does bother me is that last time i used Mac osx i tried to update some apps from the Mac app store,
it prompts me for my apple id to update the apps instead of my admin password which i can remember,
so i have to search for the text file with my apple id and put that in the update password prompt.

Then i get a new prompt saying we are going to send a verification code to your mobile device,
so i have to find my phone unlock it and then enter to the verification code from the phone into the mac app store update dialog box

All to update a couple of £3 apps i bought years ago on the app store

Whereas on Freebsd the the update looks like this

Bash: 
# pkg update
# pkg upgrade
 
NapoleonWils0n said:
HI Mate

So you managed to install Freebsd have you installed a Desktop or Window Manager,
or are not using X

Its is possible to change the block cursor depending on the terminal you use,
for instance urxvt has an option you can add to your ~/.Xresources to enable an underlined cursor

Bash: 
URxvt.cursorUnderline: 1

Then reload the ~/.Xresources file and open a new terminal to see the change

Bash: 
xrdb -merge ~/.Xresources

I use the i3wm tiling window manager

id just install a window manager or light weight desktop like mate, xfce or lxde,
then install a terminal and change the cursor to an underscore, job done

I have a block cursor i could change the shape but its never bothered me

What does bother me is that last time i used Mac osx i tried to update some apps from the Mac app store,
it prompts me for my apple id to update the apps instead of my admin password which i can remember,
so i have to search for the text file with my apple id and put that in the update password prompt.

Then i get a new prompt saying we are going to send a verification code to your mobile device,
so i have to find my phone unlock it and then enter to the verification code from the phone into the mac app store update dialog box

All to update a couple of £3 apps i bought years ago on the app store

Whereas on Freebsd the the update looks like this

Bash: 
# pkg update
# pkg upgrade
Click to expand...
I have not installed any kind of window thing. Staying strictly in the command line on the old iMac. I use my new iMac for all the web and GUI stuff; using sh because it closely matched the book on the old iMac.
 
OldSubSailor said:
I have not installed any kind of window thing. Staying strictly in the command line
Click to expand...
So you boot up Freebsd,
log in but don't use startx to start a window manager or use a Desktop environment

You can still stay strictly on the command line and use a tiling window manager like i3wm
and then install and terminal and change the block cursor to an underscore and solve your issue
 
NapoleonWils0n said:
So you boot up Freebsd,
log in but don't use startx to start a window manager or use a Desktop environment

You can still stay strictly on the command line and use a tiling window manager like i3wm
and then install and terminal and change the block cursor to an underscore and solve your issue
Click to expand...

Ah, interesting. I looked at some images of it, and it looks nice.
I have not looked on the iMac to see if it’s in the FreeBSD ports/ pkg directories yet, if so, then I have to run my long Ethernet cable to it.
 
OldSubSailor said:
Ah, interesting. I looked at some images of it, and it looks nice.
I have not looked on the iMac to see if it’s in the FreeBSD ports/ pkg directories yet, if so, then I have to run my long Ethernet cable to it.
Click to expand...

I found this in the forums:
I think that it is important to start by saying very clearly that i3 is not intended for beginning, inexperienced, average, or even 'normal' Unix-like users. Yes, that means exactly what it says -- the vast majority of Unix-like users are not going to find i3 useful, or even very interesting.

REALLY?
 
OldSubSailor said:
I found this in the forums:
I think that it is important to start by saying very clearly that i3 is not intended for beginning, inexperienced, average, or even 'normal' Unix-like users. Yes, that means exactly what it says -- the vast majority of Unix-like users are not going to find i3 useful, or even very interesting.

REALLY?
Click to expand...
I have a different option of i3wm,
its probably the easiest window manager to configure compared to other tiling window managers,
is really light weight and uses hardly any cpu

The killer feature is the the speed of switching virtual desktops compared to mac osx,
no animations that takes 2 seconds every time you want to switch to another virtual desktop

Also it works really well with multiple displays and with applications in full screen mode

i3wm comes with an application launcher called dmenu which by default is at the top of the screen,
you invoke dmenu with a keyboard shortcut and type the first couple letters of the program you want to launch

I prefer to use rofi as an application launcher instead of dmenu,
there are other applications launchers you can use as well which are more like Alfred on the mac

Or you can install a Desktop environment like Gnome, Kde, Xfce
 
NapoleonWils0n said:
So you boot up Freebsd,
log in but don't use startx to start a window manager or use a Desktop environment

You can still stay strictly on the command line and use a tiling window manager like i3wm
and then install and terminal and change the block cursor to an underscore and solve your issue
Click to expand...


So do I still need to install x11 / Xorg? Evidently I missed something again. Still trying to figure out what Mod1 key is, just entering i3 on the command line returns
i3: Cannot open display
 
Welcome aboard mate.
OldSubSailor said:
So do I still need to install x11 / Xorg?
Click to expand...
Yes.
You can chose either pkg install xorg or xorg-minimal. Minimal is just that. Bare basics.
You will need to setup a xorg directive file for any special display or screen arrangements.
Probably need to install a video driver for your display adapter.

I think it is good to start at Xorg :retro then figure out twm then proceed on to higher levels.
This is the 'learn to crawl before you can walk' path.
Xorg retro shows you how to get basic screens on display and how to use a mouse. twm takes it to the next level.
 
Just because you didn't install xorg does not mean it is not installed. It is probably a dependency of i3 and it pulls it in for you.

Window Managers and Desktop Envirnoments are two different approaches to a FreeBSD desktop.
With Window Managers you have more custom options. Like a blank slate.
Using Desktop Envirnoments means a pre-configured desktop. Much larger in disk size but good for new users. Less work to use.
 
Phishfry said:
Just because you didn't install xorg does not mean it is not installed. It is probably a dependency of i3 and it pulls it in for you.

Window Managers and Desktop Envirnoments are two different approaches to a FreeBSD desktop.
With Window Managers you have more custom options. Like a blank slate.
Using Desktop Envirnoments means a pre-configured desktop. Much larger in disk size but good for new users. Less work to use.
Click to expand...
Thank you for reply.
I went ahead and installed Xorg, but I still got that display error message when I entered any Xorg or i3 commands that were listed in the man pages.
This is a late 2013 iMac, so I had hoped that installing video drivers were not necessary.

I had posted that I saw forum posting about i3 being for advanced users. Heck even the i3 man page says that.

I really do not want a GUI or desktop; I just liked the way the i3 command line terminal looked. However, at this point, it not worth the frustration.
 
NapoleonWils0n said:
Did you read the i3wm user guide

Or look at the Freebsd Handbook XWindows section,
im guessing you havent set up ~/.xinitrc for i3wm
Click to expand...


Howdy,
I just looked at the man page( which mentioned XWindows and for advanced users), and I did look at the Handbook, but evidently I missed something, but did not look at the not the user guide. I have to keep running back and forth between iMacs. I am curious, does installing an NVIDA driver help anything except XWindows or i3? The old iMac has a NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M Mac Edition. The latest driver, Nvidia Website, is ... FreeBSD-X86_64-390.59. I also looked around and found this: Latest Legacy GPU version (390.xx series): 390.87. I downloaded that driver to this iMac just to look at it and the readme file showed "Last Updated: Wed May 9 21:54:06 PDT 2018", so now I am wondering which port pkg file to use, and should I use pkg or make install.
 
OldSubSailor said:
Howdy,
I just looked at the man page( which mentioned XWindows and for advanced users), and I did look at the Handbook, but evidently I missed something, but did not look at the not the user guide. I have to keep running back and forth between iMacs. I am curious, does installing an NVIDA driver help anything except XWindows or i3? The old iMac has a NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M Mac Edition. The latest driver, Nvidia Website, is ... FreeBSD-X86_64-390.59. I also looked around and found this: Latest Legacy GPU version (390.xx series): 390.87. I downloaded that driver to this iMac just to look at it and the readme file showed "Last Updated: Wed May 9 21:54:06 PDT 2018", so now I am wondering which port pkg file to use, and should I use pkg or make install.
Click to expand...
Im not sure which driver you need for nvidia i have an intel graphics card

but you want to use pkg's not ports, ports take a long time to build
and you shouldn't mix ports and packages you have to use one or the other

Also probably best use the nvidia pkg rather than downloading the driver from the nvidia site
 
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