Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2005 16:04:51 -0600 From: "Bomgardner,Jon " <JBOMGARD@stpaultravelers.com> To: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.org Subject: RE: Dual-boot WinXP: FreeBSD slice within 8GB? Space for EasyBoot? Message-ID: <9BC9288098C55A46B392908FB05FD09B253608@TDEXB0VC.prod.travp.net>
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> -----Original Message----- > From: Maude User [mailto:maudeuser@yahoo.com]=20 > Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 3:40 PM > To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org > Subject: Dual-boot WinXP: FreeBSD slice within 8GB=3F Space for=20 > EasyBoot=3F >=20 >=20 > Hello - > =20 > I'm going to install FreeBSD to make a dual-boot laptop=20 > (keeping WinXP-Pro). It has 60GB on a single hard drive,=20 > currently one big NTFS "partition" (C:) - which I will shrink=20 > down to about 16GB with PartitionMagic, leaving a new generic=20 > FAT or FAT32 slice which FreeBSD will overwrite.=20 > =20 > I have 2 questions: > =20 > (1) Does the FreeBSD slice have to start before 8GB to be bootable=3F > =20 > (2) Is there free space before the WinXP slice already for EasyBoot=3F > =20 > Thanks. > =20 > - Stefan Stefan, I just did the same sort of set up. The only difference was that I blew everything away and started from scratch. I used 3 partitions. The first =66or WinXP-Pro, The second for FreeBSD, and the third as a drive for swapping files between the two. I set up WinXP-Pro on my first partition using NTFS and alotted 15GB. The "swap" partition was the third partition, 12GB, and formatted as FAT32. FreeBSD was assigned the remainder of the 50GB harddrive and assigned into Partition 2. I installed WinXP first, then FreeBSD and allowed FreeBSD to install it's multi-boot manager and I haven't had any problems with booting either OS. HTH, Jon Bomgardner > =20 > =20 > =20 > Further details below: > =20 > (1) Does the FreeBSD slice have to start before 8GB to be bootable=3F > = =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D > This is a new machine, so I assume I have BIOS LBA, which got=20 > rid of the dreaded "1024 cylinder limit". But the link below=20 > (very optimistic, but talking about hard drive with only=20 > 1.6GB, way less than 8GB) implies that even with BIOS LBA, my=20 > FreeBSD slice still needs to start before 8GB: > =20 > http://geodsoft.com/howto/dualboot/"With BIOS LBA, the hard=20 > disk size limitation is virtually removed (well, pushed up to=20 > 8 Gigabytes anyway). If you have an LBA BIOS, you can put=20 > FreeBSD or any OS anywhere you want and not hit the 1024=20 > cylinder limit." > =20 > I know people say that FreeBSD can boot from "anywhere" - but=20 > even if its slice starts way out around 20GB=3F=3F > =20 > =20 > (2) Is there free space before the WinXP slice already for EasyBoot=3F > = =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D >=20 > =20 > http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/articles/multi-os/x191.html > "Some operating systems (FreeBSD included) let you start=20 > their partitions right after the Master Boot Sector at=20 > Cylinder 0, Head 0, Sector 2 if you want. ... Then when you=20 > go to install your boot manager, if it is one that occupies a=20 > few extra sectors after the MBR, it will overwrite the front=20 > of the first partition's data. In the case of FreeBSD, this=20 > overwrites the disk label, and renders your FreeBSD partition=20 > unbootable. > The easy way to avoid this problem (and leave yourself the=20 > flexibility to try different boot managers later) is just to=20 > always leave the first full track on your disk unallocated=20 > when you partition your disk. That is, leave the space from=20 > Cylinder 0, Head 0, Sector 2 through Cylinder 0, Head 0,=20 > Sector 63 unallocated, and start your first partition at=20 > Cylinder 0, Head 1, Sector 1. For what it is worth, when you=20 > create a DOS partition at the front of your disk, DOS leaves=20 > this space open by default (this is why some boot managers=20 > assume it is free). So creating a DOS partition up at the=20 > front of your disk avoids this problem altogether. I like to=20 > do this myself, creating 1 Meg DOS partition up front,=20 > because it also avoids my primary DOS drive letters shifting=20 > later when I repartition." >=20 > As my laptop already has a DOS (WinXP-NTFS) slice at the=20 > beginning of the hard drive, can I just shrink this slice=20 > down to about 20GB, install FreeBSD on the slice after that,=20 > install EasyBoot, and assume that EasyBoot will be tucked=20 > into that sliver of free space before Cylinder 0, Head 1, Sector 1=3F >=20 > Thanks, > Stefan > =20 > =20 >=20 >=20 > =09 > --------------------------------- > Do you Yahoo!=3F > Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site!=20 > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to=20 > "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org" >=20 >=20 >=20 =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D This communication, together with any attachments hereto or links contained= = herein, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain = information that is confidential or legally protected. If you are not the = intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any review, disclosure, = copying, dissemination, distribution or use of this communication is = STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If you have received this communication in error, = please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail message and delete th= e= original and all copies of the communication, along with any attachments = hereto or links herein, from your system. =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D The St. Paul Travelers e-mail system made this annotation on 03/28/05, = 17:04:57.
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