bonds / openbsd_on_a_macbookair51 Goto Github PK

I've tried several urtwn and upgt based usb adapters and they all get very hot and then stop working, with various error messages. To get them working again I unplug them, then run sh /etc/netstart but they don't always start working again immediately and they don't stay working, as a rule.

TODO: add details of the error messages displayed when they drop their connection, when they won't reconnect, etc.

The MacbookAir5,1 comes with a Broadcom BCM43224 wireless chip. OpenBSD does not yet have a driver for it.

Workaround A: use a different, supported wireless adapter, like this one.

Workaround B: use a supported wired adapter like this one.

At any time while installing OpenBSD on a MacbookAir5,1, the screen may go blank.

TODO: add a video demonstrating this

Workaround A: complete all the installation steps before the screen goes blank. This won't always work, depending on when the screen goes blank, i.e. I have not yet been able to customize my partitions before the screen blanks.

Workaround B: install OpenBSD to a USB drive using a different amd64 based machine. Boot the MBA using the USB drive copy of OpenBSD. Use disklabel to partition the MBA hard drive. Copy the contents of every partition on the USB drive to the matching partitions on the MBA. Update the MBA /etc/fstab to point to its partitions instead of the USB's.

Every few hours of running X, either FVWM or Xfce or Gnome, ends in a hard hang.

Workaround: stop apmd: /etc/rc.d/apmd stop and disable it permanently by adding this line to your /etc/rc.conf.local: apmd_flags=NO. Unfortunately you no longer get suspend, resume, and automatic CPU speed adjustments based on usage. But no hangs it too good to pass up IMHO.

After a couple hours of running X, either FVWM or Xfce or Gnome, ends in Xorg freezing up. Top reveals that the Xorg process is in the 'acpilk' state. I can SSH into the box but I cannot switch between virtual consoles, the screen stays frozen. If I issue a reboot command, the screen stays frozen until just before reboot, then the last few lines of text before reboot are visible.

Workaround: disabling the acpivout device eliminates this hang. To do so, you should configure a new copy of the kernel and set it to be your default:

$ config -o /bsd -e /bsd.fixed
> disable acpivout
> quit
$ echo "bsd.fixed" > /etc/boot.conf

One side effect I've encountered is GDM sometimes exhibiting a strange behavior that prevented me from unlocking the screen after the screensaver had kicked in. I do not seem to encounter this when acpivout is enabled.

TODO: attach a video of the side effect.