From owner-freebsd-questions Mon Aug 18 01:07:22 1997 Return-Path: Received: (from root@localhost) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) id BAA06148 for questions-outgoing; Mon, 18 Aug 1997 01:07:22 -0700 (PDT) Received: from beta.mep.ruhr-uni-bochum.de (beta.mep.ruhr-uni-bochum.de [134.147.6.3]) by hub.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id BAA06127 for ; Mon, 18 Aug 1997 01:07:17 -0700 (PDT) Received: (from roberte@localhost) by beta.mep.ruhr-uni-bochum.de (8.8.5/8.8.5) id KAA17848; Mon, 18 Aug 1997 10:05:53 +0200 (MESZ) From: Robert Eckardt Message-Id: <199708180805.KAA17848@beta.mep.ruhr-uni-bochum.de> Subject: Re: PC with multiple Operating Systems In-Reply-To: <33F7F185.77F11250@ultrix6.cs.csubak.edu> from "Netscape 4.0" at "Aug 17, 97 11:53:57 pm" To: king@ultrix6.cs.csubak.edu (Netscape 4.0) Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 10:05:53 +0200 (MESZ) Cc: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG, king@ultrix6.cs.csubak.edu X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4ME+ PL31H (25)] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk Hi, > Hello, > > I have a computer with about 1.6 and 3.0 Gig disk drives, > partitioned into 250-300 MB partitions. I have Windows 3.1 > and Linux installed, and will soon add Windows95 and perhaps > Windows NT. I would like also to add FreeBSD since I am > not entirely happy with Linux. However I can't find documentation > to answer the following questions: > > 1. Can FreeBSD easily coexist with the other Operating systems? > Can I boot FreeBSD from DOS; can I boot FreeBSD from > floppy and switch / to the hard disk? Yes!, Yes? (I think there exists a program, but I never used it.), Yes! You can also install a boot selector program that shows you a menu of all bootable systems and lets you select one. > 2. Can FreeBSD read DOS FAT files, can FreeBSD read Linux > ext2 systems Yes!, Yes! You can read and write DOS-FAT and ext2 file systems. (You should not use DOS partitions larger than ~1GB and you should umount ext2 FSs prior to shutdown.) > 3. I can use fdisk from Linux to create partitions > readable from DOS and Linux. Will FreeBSD recognize > these partitions? Yes!, Yes! (Once you used FreeBSD's fdisk you will probably prefer it over Linux'.) You should keep in mind that FreeBSD is to be installed in a `primary partition' (which is called `slice'). Then you have to use disklabel to define room (which is called `partition') for the different file systems. (Both steps are easily followed by in the install program.) > Answers, or pointers to documentation that answers, the above > questions would be greatly appreciated. Look at the handbook and the FAQ on www.freebsd.org. Robert > > Thanking you in advance > > King Lee -- Dr. Robert Eckardt ( Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, Inst.f.Theor.Physik, NB6/169 ) Universitaetsstrasse 150, D-44780 Bochum, Germany ----X---8---- Telefon: +49 234 700-3709, Telefax: +49 234 7094-574 8 E-Mail: RobertE@MEP.Ruhr-Uni-Bochum.de --------8---- URL: http://WWW.MEP.Ruhr-Uni-Bochum.de/~roberte >>> A magician never reveals his secret: the unbelievable trick becomes <<< >>> simple and obvious once it is explained. <<<