Any way to adapt GRUB to use FreeBSD etc.?

L_Carver · 06-29-2017, 01:01 PM

I remember reading somewhere that either FreeBSD or GRUB itself can be adapted (tweaked?) so that the latter "sees" the former as a valid Linux and will boot into it. I understand the different BSD flavors have their own bootloaders, so maybe going in the opposite direction is better (i.e., a FreeBSD loader that can "see" and boot, for instance, my current install)?

Carver

hydrurga · 06-29-2017, 05:01 PM

As no-one else has replied, can I suggest that you search the internet for grub bsd. There is a plethora of articles on the subject.

Habitual · 06-29-2017, 05:16 PM

Some Notes I have:
Aug 16, 2016, 04:02:57 PM
Ubuntu and FreeBSD dualboot menu entry: Ubu on sda / FreeBSD on sdb

Code:

menuentry "FreeBSD" --class freebsd --class bsd --class os {
insmod ufs2
insmod bsd
insmod part_gpt
set root=(hd1,2)
kfreebsd /boot/kernel/kernel
kfreebsd_loadenv /boot/device.hints
set kFreeBSD.vfs.root.mountfrom=ufs:/dev/adap2
set kFreeBSD.vfs.root.mountfrom.options=rw
set kFreeBSD.hw.psm.synaptics_support=1
}

It was for LinuxMint and FreeBSD that I used this.

and I'm pretty sure I got that info from this board.

jefro · 06-29-2017, 10:07 PM

The reason it doesn't see your install I can't say. Maybe the build of grub or filesystem support? Os-prober and grub-mkconfig could be at fault.

Seems it is supposed to be in there. From manual. https://www.gnu.org/software/grub/manual/grub.html
"Backward compatibility for booting FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, and Linux. Proprietary kernels (such as DOS, Windows NT, and OS/2) are supported via a chain-loading function. "

However they further go on to say.
"Support non-Multiboot kernels

Support many of the various free 32-bit kernels that lack Multiboot compliance (primarily FreeBSD, NetBSD2, OpenBSD, and Linux). Chain-loading of other boot loaders is also supported.
"

Also see this. https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...er-4175447040/

The way it used to be done was to chain load the bsd loader from grub. And still works.

https://unix.stackexchange.com/quest...rub2-boot-menu