From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Jun 27 06:01:03 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B4B8037B401; Fri, 27 Jun 2003 06:01:02 -0700 (PDT) Received: from www.fastmail.fm (www.fastmail.fm [66.111.4.2]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C655843FDD; Fri, 27 Jun 2003 06:01:01 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from judmarc@fastmail.fm) Received: from smtp.us2.messagingengine.com (server2.internal [10.202.2.133]) by localhost.localdomain (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5001423621; Fri, 27 Jun 2003 09:00:35 -0400 (EDT) Received: from 127.0.0.1 ([127.0.0.1] helo=smtp.us2.messagingengine.com) by messagingengine.com with SMTP; Fri, 27 Jun 2003 09:00:35 -0400 Received: by smtp.us2.messagingengine.com (Postfix, from userid 99) id 724C76CF5C; Fri, 27 Jun 2003 09:00:35 -0400 (EDT) Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: MIME::Lite 1.2 (F2.71; T1.001; A1.51; B2.12; Q2.03) From: "Jud" To: "Olivier DAVY" , freebsd-newbies@freebsd.org Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 09:00:35 -0400 X-Epoch: 1056718835 X-Sasl-enc: 7ZlYUIgFNJGYe4LCGRf3AQ References: <3EFC1DFC.1000301@free.fr> In-Reply-To: <3EFC1DFC.1000301@free.fr> Message-Id: <20030627130035.724C76CF5C@smtp.us2.messagingengine.com> cc: freebsd-questions Subject: Re: dual boot, java X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 13:01:04 -0000 On Fri, 27 Jun 2003 12:35:40 +0200, "Olivier DAVY" said: > Olivier DAVY > FreeBSD Fan ;) > > Hi, > > I am very fond of FreeBSD since I tried it on a single little hard drive > (*1). > > However, I cannot delete my Linux for FreeBSD on my dual boot Pc > (Win...ws + Linux) since I do not know the following things, t hat are > essential for me to well manage my PC : > 1. when installing FreeBSD on a partition on the same disk as Windows, > what kind of boot manager should I use. > During the install, the boot manager choosing screen suggest to install > nothing. But how to boot on BSD ? On the boot manager choosing screen, choosing nothing is an option, not a suggestion. Perhaps it is the default because of a "first, do no harm" perspective. > So I tried to install BSD with Linux and Windows, and use Lilo to boot > BSD. Well, it works, but I am not satisfied, since Linux is still > necessary to boot. What option should I choose ? How should I partition > my disk to have this dual boot. Partitioning is a separate consideration from booting (though Windows usually likes to have its system partition as the first partition on the first hard drive; there are ways to get around this, but it's easier just to allow it). Partition as you like. You then have several options regarding booting. > What kind of bootmanager should I use ? FreeBSD's boot manager will work. Grub is in the ports and is an excellent, very configurable bootloader/manager. Read the Grub documentation (it's available online) *very* carefully before you use it (as in fact you should with all boot managers). If you want a boot manager that does things more automagically and needs less configuration, try GAG. > Does Windows XP (or 2000) could > boot FreeBSD (hum ?) ? This is an item in both the FAQ and the Handbook available at the FreeBSD web site. > 2. On my standalone disk (cf. (*1)), I use the default bootloader of > FreeBSD. > But I can not delete if from my HD, whereas I can delete lilo by > executing fdisk /MBR ? So what is the issue ? Is the BSD boot loader not > in the Master Boot Record ? How can i delete it, to delete all FreeBSD > from my disk (just in case...) ? A moment's thought will tell you why you don't want to *delete* FreeBSD's bootloader or any other: What results is an unbootable disk! If you want to *replace* it with another bootloader/manager, go right ahead - it won't resist. Of course, if you are trying to remove FreeBSD's bootloader from disk 2 by running fdisk/mbr on disk 1, I can understand why it doesn't work. ;) > 3. Why there is only 2 CD-ROM for the 5.1 whereas there is 4 for the 4.X > ? I don't have an answer, except to recommend that you stay with 4.x until (a) it becomes the -STABLE development track, or (b) you consider yourself more of a hacker than a newbie. Jud