Title: Install FreeBSD on RPi 2B 
By: Don Kuenz

Abstract: 
  This project shows how to obtain an appropriate ARM
  FreeBSD image and then install it on a Raspberry Pi 2B.

Keywords: freebsd,install,rpi

Install FreeBSD on RPi 2B

Procedure

  1. The install media is an SD card. You must first format an SD Card before you use it. The easiest way to perform the format is to use an App available at the SD Association website. Unfortunately, they only offer two versions of their App: one for Windows and another for Mac OS. (If anyone knows a BSD alternative, please post it to the venue where a link to this page appears.)
  2. Insert the formatted SD card into a BSD host. Dismiss any USB popup dialogs then discern /dev/da? identity:

    cat /var/log/messages
  3. Download an apropos ARM image then copy it to the SD card. Notes: Weekly builds change the numbers found in the filename suffix. Use the /dev/da? discerned in step 1.

    sha512sum -c CHECKSUM.SHA512-FreeBSD-14.0-CURRENT-arm-armv7-GENERICSD-20220217-c4bf04f40bb-253209

    gunzip FreeBSD-14.0-CURRENT-arm-armv7-GENERICSD-20220217-c4bf04f40bb-253209.img.xz

    dd if=FreeBSD-14.0-CURRENT-arm-armv7-GENERICSD-20220217-c4bf04f40bb-253209.img of=/dev/da0 bs=1M conv=noerror,sync

  4. To configure the Raspberry Pi to use serial port 0 edit (or create) the /boot/loader.rc.local file, and add these lines:

    set boot_multicons="YES"
    set boot_serial="YES"
    set comconsole_speed="115200"
    set console="comconsole,vidconsole"

    The above configures the serial console on pin 8 (TX) and pin 10 (RX) for 115k baud, 8 bits, no parity. To use a different speed, alter the line for comconsole_speed.
  5. The default usernames and passwords are:

    freebsd freebsd
    root root

Notes


© 2022 Don Kuenz