From owner-freebsd-questions Thu Oct 1 02:53:54 1998 Return-Path: Received: (from majordom@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) id CAA20268 for freebsd-questions-outgoing; Thu, 1 Oct 1998 02:53:54 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG) Received: from allegro.lemis.com (allegro.lemis.com [192.109.197.134]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.8/8.8.8) with ESMTP id CAA20252 for ; Thu, 1 Oct 1998 02:53:50 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from grog@freebie.lemis.com) Received: from freebie.lemis.com (freebie.lemis.com [192.109.197.137]) by allegro.lemis.com (8.9.1/8.9.0) with ESMTP id TAA01324; Thu, 1 Oct 1998 19:23:31 +0930 (CST) Received: (from grog@localhost) by freebie.lemis.com (8.9.1/8.9.0) id TAA24272; Thu, 1 Oct 1998 19:23:26 +0930 (CST) Message-ID: <19981001192326.D24146@freebie.lemis.com> Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1998 19:23:26 +0930 From: Greg Lehey To: Harry Putnam Cc: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: recycling boot prompt References: <19981001173439.J2636@freebie.lemis.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mutt 0.91.1i In-Reply-To: ; from Harry Putnam on Thu, Oct 01, 1998 at 01:38:15AM -0700 WWW-Home-Page: http://www.lemis.com/~grog Organization: LEMIS, PO Box 460, Echunga SA 5153, Australia Phone: +61-8-8388-8286 Fax: +61-8-8388-8725 Mobile: +61-41-739-7062 Sender: owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG On Thursday, 1 October 1998 at 1:38:15 -0700, Harry Putnam wrote: > Greg Lehey writes: > >> On Wednesday, 30 September 1998 at 23:48:43 -0700, Harry Putnam wrote: >>> Installed and running, FreeBSD-2.2.7. At least for awhile.... >>> After initial basic install. I went back and ftp installed some of the >>> `packages' to get a more usefull installation. Very time consuming of >>> course. I've put a line in Lilo.conf on a linux install (same disk) >>> to boot BSD. It has worked a few times. >>> >>> After the ftp package install. On reboot, I get to lilo, select BSD >>> then get a prompt that keeps trying to start booting but only returns >>> to a `boot prompt' in a second or two. Cycles endlessly. I wasn't >>> able to see how to enter in a diagnostic mode or something to try to >>> see what might be wrong. >>> >>> Whats likely to be causing this. I tried just booting linux and >>> rerunning `lilo' but got the same result. >>> I hate to reinstall now because of the installed packages getting >>> zapped. Takes too long to get them again. >> >> Agreed. Reinstallation isn't the way to go. >> >>> Trying to do something with the `fixit' floppy. Soon as this is posted. >> >> Don't need to use fixit. Boot floppy is enough. Try: >> >> boot: wd(0)kernel >> >> Assumes that FreeBSD installed on first IDE disk. If on second, >> prompt is: >> >> boot: wd(1)kernel >> >> If SCSI disk, use sd instead of wd. >> >> If not working, let us know with description of messages. > > > Thanks, wd(1)kernel was the one I needed. Inserting boot floppy and > trying the above, I get the same exact behaviour. > > No messages are produced. If I try to type anything at the prompt, > when I hit The screen scolls up and back to the prompt. If I let > it time out, the install routine starts. This looks like you may have overwritten something important. Go into sysinstall (the install program which the floppy starts) and thence via the Index into the partition editor. See if you can find a FreeBSD partition. If you can, go into the disk label editor and see what partition names are mentioned. Greg -- See complete headers for address, home page and phone numbers finger grog@lemis.com for PGP public key To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message