From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Apr 26 18:45:32 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 359431065680 for ; Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:45:32 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from mdc@prgmr.com) Received: from mail.prgmr.com (mail.prgmr.com [64.62.173.114]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 26C6E8FC17 for ; Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:45:32 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from mdc@prgmr.com) Received: from frylock.local (c-71-198-249-174.hsd1.ca.comcast.net [71.198.249.174]) by mail.prgmr.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9DFC668B5B for ; Sun, 26 Apr 2009 11:45:31 -0700 (PDT) Message-ID: <49F4ABB3.6000808@prgmr.com> Date: Sun, 26 Apr 2009 11:45:07 -0700 From: Michael David Crawford Organization: Prgmr.com User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.21 (Macintosh/20090302) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: Partitioning for multiple systems 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: Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:45:32 -0000 I have a machine I plan to use solely for testing. I have FreeBSD 8.0-CURRENT on it right now, and would like to add FreeBSD 7.2-RC2 as well as CentOS 5.3 Linux. Presently I have three Master Boot Record primary partitions - "slices" in the FreeBSD parlance, if I understand correctly: - A Linux slice to be used for CentOS' /boot - A BSD slice subdivided into partitions that hold 8.0-CURRENT - A big FAT slice (so to speak) meant to be split up for 7.2 and CentOS A PC-style Master Boot Record can hold a maximum of four primary partitions, or it can hold three primaries and a single extended partition that is subdivided into logical partitions. The geometries of the logical partitions aren't given in the MBR, but exist as a linked list. I *should* be able to split that FAT slice up into a primary for 7.2 and an extended partition that will hold CentOS' other partitions; however: In Googling about this, I have read some dire warnings about FreeBSD being unable to understand logical partitions; apparently installing FreeBSD *before* an extended partition will result in all your logicals getting trashed. One is advised to put all the FreeBSD MBR partitions *after* the extended partition. Is that the case? Have you any advice for me? One more thing: if it's possible, I'd like for the /home directory to be shared between both of my FreeBSD installations. In a normal installation, there is a real /usr/home directory, with /home being a symbolic link. If I'm running FreeBSD out of one MBR partition (or slice), can I mount a directory that's in a different one? Thanks for your help! Mike -- Michael David Crawford mdc@prgmr.com prgmr.com - We Don't Assume You Are Stupid. Xen-Powered Virtual Private Servers: http://prgmr.com/xen