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Date:      Thu, 18 Mar 1999 11:38:14 +0000
From:      Mark Ovens <marko@uk.radan.com>
To:        Clem.Dye@wdr.com
Cc:        questions@freebsd.org, rmarler@tomatoweb.com
Subject:   Re: Multi-Boot
Message-ID:  <36F0E5A6.79FC550@uk.radan.com>
References:  <H0000082017b073f@MHS>

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Clem.Dye@wdr.com wrote:
> 
> After I posted the message it dawned on me that of course the boot
> sector won't contain a drive reference - doh! The implications
> therefore (as I understand it) must be that if the NT bootloader is
> to be used, it must reside in a small [DOS] bootable partition on the
> first drive.

Doesn't have to be a DOS partition, it can be NTFS. We have PC's here
with a 100MB NTFS drive C and a multi-GB drive D (don't ask me why
they've been done like that when they could just be a single NTFS
drive, maybe C: was FAT and someone converted them to NTFS). All that
is needed is BOOT.INI, NTLDR, NTDETECT.COM in the first primary
partition on the first HD.

> FreeBSD would then have to be installed on the remainder
> of the first drive, whilst NT goes on the second drive. A bit of a
> chore, but not impossible. As I plan to install FreeBSD on a test box
> first, I can try-out both scenarios and report back. I'm hoping to
> get around to this within the next couple of weeks.
> 

Hmm, sounds like we'll be doing it at the same time. Who's going to
post a HELP! message to the list first ;-)


> Now, how about the scenario where FreeBSD is installed on the second
> drive and DOS/NT on the first drive but the FreeBSD bootloader is
> installed. Can the FreeBSD bootloader be used to boot DOS/NT and
> FreeBSD, or do the same rules apply as to where FreeBSD must live -
> ie: somewhere on the first drive?
> 

I believe that if you install Booteasy and select DOS/Windows it will
boot drive C: and you will then get your existing NT menu....I
*think*, you will need to ask someone who's actually done it.


> Clem
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: marko
> Sent: 18 March 1999 11:03
> To: Dye, Clem
> Cc: marko; rmarler; questions
> Subject: Re: Multi-Boot
> 
> Clem.Dye@wdr.com wrote:
> >
> > Hmmm. I was planning a similar DOS/NT4.0/NT5.0/FreeBSD 3.1
> > installation on my test box, with the idea that FreeBSD be installed
> > on the second drive in its entirety but still using the NT
> > bootloader. (An aside: a nice way to see if FAQ is valid for NT5.0,
> > but I digress.)
> >
> > I re-read the FAQ and the example shows how to use the NT bootloader
> > where FreeBSD is on the same drive. What it doesn't say (as far as I
> > can tell) is that FreeBSD has to be on the same drive as NT. At
> > least, that's my understanding. That leaves two questions, in my
> mind:
> >
> > 1) Is it possible to use the NT bootloader to multi-os boot where
> > FreeBSD isn't on the first drive?
> >
> 
> I'm at work so I haven't got the FAQ to hand, but IIRC it does say
> something about which drive FreeBSD has to be on (I think the word
> "same" is shown in bold). Bear in mind that whilst NT can be in any
> partition on any drive it *must* boot from the first primary partition
> on the first drive. I also remember someone else saying in a previous
> thread on this subject that FreeBSD had to be on the first disk. To
> add FreeBSD to the NT boot menu you dd(1) the first sector of the
> FreeBSD partition to a file on C:\ and if I understand it correctly
> this sector only contains partition info, it doesn't reference which
> disk it's on (otherwise you wouldn't be able to move drives around) so
> NT's boot loader will look for the partition on the first disk.
> 
> > 2) If the answer to (1) is 'no', is it possible to use the FreeBSD
> > bootloader to boot DOS/NT etc. in addition to FreeBSD if the FreeBSD
> > install is allowed to update the boot record on the first drive?
> >
> 
> I believe it is possible to use Booteasy. I've never used it myself
> though.
> 
> I'd be very interested if it is possible to make NT's boot loader owrk
> with FreeBSD on another disk as I will be getting a second HD in a
> couple of weeks and would like to use it exclusively for FreeBSD.
> Currently I'm planning on having ``/'', ``/var'' and swap on the first
> HD and ``/usr'' on the second.
> 
> > Clem
> >
> 
> --
>       FreeBSD - The Power To Serve http://www.freebsd.org
>       My Webpage http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~markov
> _______________________________________________________________
> Mark Ovens, CNC Apps Engineer, Radan Computational Ltd. Bath UK
> CAD/CAM solutions for Sheetmetal Working Industry
> mailto:marko@uk.radan.com                  http://www.radan.com

-- 
      FreeBSD - The Power To Serve http://www.freebsd.org
      My Webpage http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~markov
_______________________________________________________________
Mark Ovens, CNC Apps Engineer, Radan Computational Ltd. Bath UK
CAD/CAM solutions for Sheetmetal Working Industry
mailto:marko@uk.radan.com                  http://www.radan.com


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