Sparc - Gotchas

This is a stub article for different things to be aware of when installing or using FreeBSD on Sparc hardware.

See this article containing documentation based on a real life installation on an Ultra-based system, including a brief essential guide to the OpenBoot firmware (enough to get FreeBSD booted at least).

Servers only, thanks.

FreeBSD + Sparc = No GUI. See this link w/r/t 5.0; later versions of FreeBSD documentation do not mention it at all.

Running Xorg on FreeBSD/sparc64 9.0-RELEASE here on a SunBlade 1500 with the mach64 driver (ATI Rage card).

Sun keyboard and mouse? Throw them away!

Toss 'em because you can't use 'em. Serial console installation only, please. See Sparc_-_Terminal_Emulation
-- This is no longer true for FreeBSD6? I have used sun keyboards to install FreeBSD6 on my sparc machines.
-- I also was able to install using the Sun mouse and keyboard using FreeBSD 7.
-- I was able to use a Sun mouse and keyboard using FreeBSD 8.

Booting can be problematic

The OpenBoot Firmware: learn it, love it.

Java is more of a pain

All the Java sources and installers etc etc -- they're iX86 only.