From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Nov 8 16:42:08 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: FreeBSD-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: FreeBSD-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B505316A416 for ; Wed, 8 Nov 2006 16:42:08 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from bob@bschwartz.com) Received: from mta1.adelphia.net (mta19.mail.adelphia.net [68.168.78.226]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D9AEF43D7C for ; Wed, 8 Nov 2006 16:42:07 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from bob@bschwartz.com) Received: from c1 ([68.64.93.80]) by mta16.adelphia.net (InterMail vM.6.01.05.04 201-2131-123-105-20051025) with ESMTP id <20061108155643.NPZN11888.mta16.adelphia.net@c1>; Wed, 8 Nov 2006 10:56:43 -0500 From: "Bob Schwartz" To: "'Jerry McAllister'" Date: Wed, 8 Nov 2006 11:12:43 -0500 Message-ID: <005601c70350$b8dbd470$0500a8c0@c1> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Microsoft Office Outlook 11 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2962 In-Reply-To: <20061107204102.GA68598@gizmo.acns.msu.edu> Thread-Index: AccCrq/HyNiCZs1jSW2tc6ayrVhc1QAmVpqQ Cc: FreeBSD-questions@freebsd.org Subject: RE: Questions on first-time installation X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 08 Nov 2006 16:42:09 -0000 >>Sorry for top posting, but I think, given the conditions you specify, probably the best thing for you to do is buy another drive - and replace one of the others to experiment with FreeBSD for a while.<< Kindly see my post of this am and tell me, please, if you still think this is necessary. I do have another scsi drive that I can daisychain off of the adaptec legacy card, but as it is, I don't think the system is showing me all the drives for install anyway, even as it is picking them up 'earlier" in the hardware inventory process. And the scsi drive is a redundent backup drive already...as I use the "freestanding" 73 gig drive for backups now....so I have already removed its partition and it sits waiting for the install. Once I understand what I am really seeing as drive install options...my other post will, I hope, make that clear enough for someone here to tell me....and assuming I am seeing what I think, it looks as if I can just go ahead? >>...I have successfully used Partition Magic on NTFS partitions to make room for a FreeBSD slice. << Provided that I don't understand why you suggest I use a different drive if the scsi drive I have works, I do have Partition Magic and, indeed, used it to remove the partition on this disk already. Thanks very much ////jerry > > >>You're on the right list, but it helps to use a subject line.<< > > Noted and done. > > >>You should not install on that machine, then. Its not uncommon for > >>first > time users to hose other installations. Based on your "under no > circumstances" statement, you need to ask yourself two questions: > 1) Do I have a complete and reliable backup of my Windows stuff?<< > > Yes. > > >>2) Can I afford the time to restore from backup if I do something > >>wrong?<< > > No. > > >>1) Recruit a trusted friend who has done this before to help.<< > Don't have one where I am...indeed, don't have one who knows what I > need to learn on this topic. > > >>2) Don't use that machine for your first install.<< > > Other than my laptop it is the only one I have...and I have spent so > much downtime on problems with large and complex windows installs that > I have decided it is "cheaper" to get started on getting away from it > than to do something else. > > That said, I do sufficient volunteer work myself combined with my > normal "activity nightmarish" life, that I also don't have months > to get this together.. > > But, at risk of appearing arrogant, I'll offer that I am a fast learner. > > If I can find someone who might, at my expense if necessary, spend a > little time with me either on-line or on the phone, so I can get past > the install process of properly IDing what bsd reports about my > drives..so I know I am on the right drive and not destroying something, that would be wonderful. > > >>The BSD boot manager _will_ displace any other boot manager, > >>although it > works just as well in every instance I've done it.<< > > That was my guess....and I don't care if it replaces it as long as I > still have the functionality > > >>There's a lot of detail missing here. Have you gone through the > >>handbook > section on installation?<< > > Sorry and "yes". > > >>If that doesn't help with your questions, you're going to have to > >>provide > more information. You say you have 3 - 73G drives and a 146G drive, > but you don't describe how they are laid out. << > > Indeed, your're right....two of the three 73 gigs are on a new SAS > raid 1 array and the third is by itself, non-raid. > > The scsi drive is on a separate scsi card by itself and I have been > using it for backups of backups. > > >>What do you think you should see, and what do you actually see?<< > > Because this new SAS raid (new to me; I'm an old hand at conventional > SCSI) involves some kind of virtual disk, at least as it is desribed > in the DELL docs and bios...and I have just gotten this 690 > workstation and don't know the ins and outs of SAS vs. conventional > SCSI...I am not sure that what I see in the screen print when I > attempt to install is even giving me an option to install on the scsi drive only. > > Finally, I will go thru the install again today or tonight and write > down what I see...as I could not print it from the screen itself...but > in no way did it give me the listing of drives that even the install > process did earlier in the process itself..where it showed me four drives. > > If I can just figure out what drive I am supposedly seeing, that would > get me to the next steps. > > Also, your (or someone else's) suggestion that I disconnect the others > for the moment is a good one...and I guess that that would do, except > that I would not end up with a boot manager when I hook the others > back up afterwards? > > Also, what, if anything, would that do to any of the data on the other > drives after the fact? > > Whatever the result of this thread, I appreciate everyone's > time...thank you. > > bob > > > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org"