From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Jan 26 14:45:18 2008 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 59A4E16A417 for ; Sat, 26 Jan 2008 14:45:18 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from sonicy@otenet.gr) Received: from kane.otenet.gr (kane.otenet.gr [195.170.0.77]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E961913C4EF for ; Sat, 26 Jan 2008 14:45:17 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from sonicy@otenet.gr) Received: from aquarius.dyndns.org (athedsl-286326.home.otenet.gr [85.73.166.20]) by kane.otenet.gr (8.13.8/8.13.8/Debian-3) with ESMTP id m0QEjGtL021506 for ; Sat, 26 Jan 2008 16:45:16 +0200 Message-ID: <479B477B.9010100@otenet.gr> Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 16:45:15 +0200 From: Manolis Kiagias User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.9 (X11/20071231) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org References: <479B3BCE.3050808@student.utwente.nl> <479B46DA.80906@otenet.gr> In-Reply-To: <479B46DA.80906@otenet.gr> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-7; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: Re: [FreeBSD] 6.3-R diskhandling 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: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 14:45:18 -0000 Manolis Kiagias wrote: > > > Alphons "Fonz" van Werven wrote: >> Hi, >> >> I have a recent model Toshiba laptop here, dual-booting Windows Vista >> and >> Slackware Linux (not my call, so no flames please). When I got the >> go-ahead to replace Linux with FreeBSD 6.3-RELEASE, the following >> happened: >> >> The partitioner complained that the found geometry 232581/16/63 is >> invalid >> and it's using a more likely geometry instead. Closer inspection reveals >> that this "more likely" geom (14593/255/63) is actually the real >> geometry, >> so question 1 is: where did FreeBSD get this other weird-ass geometry >> from? >> >> When installing the boot manager, it hosed Windows' bootability. I could >> mount and access the Windows partition from within FreeBSD just fine so >> the partition itself seemed to be okay, but it just wouldn't boot. >> When I >> selected it in the bootmanager menu, it showed a screen saying Windows >> can't boot and I should use the recovery disk to repair Windows. Since >> everything on the machine that was even remotely important had just been >> backed up and Windows was due for a reinstall anyway, I just reinstalled >> it and no harm was done, but I still wonder what happened. How come >> FreeBSD's boot manager stopped Windows from booting? >> >> The reinstall of Windows wiped away everything else, so I can retry >> installing FreeBSD. But given the troubles described above, what's the >> best way to do it? Currently, I'm considering the following: >> 1. Boot this Live Linux CD I have lying around here and which finds the >> correct geometry for the disk right away. >> 2. Make a backup of the MBR. >> 3. Create a partition (slice) for FreeBSD. >> 4. Boot the FreeBSD install disk and run through sysinstall >> (partitioning >> the slice Linux just created) but don't let it install a boot loader. >> 5. Boot the Live Linux again and install LILO from there. >> But if you have any other suggestions I'm all ears of course. >> >> Oh, and a final question: the Windows installer creates a partition >> table >> in which partitions (slices) don't end on cylinder/track boundaries. Is >> this a big deal? Linux notices it but doesn't seem bothered much by >> it and >> FreeBSD appears to act likewise. But I thought I'd better ask, just >> to be >> sure. >> >> Thanks in advance, >> >> Alphons >> > When installing FreeBSD and you are asked what boot manager to install > select to not install anything. In this way your Vista boot will not > be affected. > If after this you find that at startup you are not given ANY choice > but FreeBSD starts automatically, this is simply because it's > partition is marked active. > Boot with a CD like Norton Partition Magic or GParted and mark the > Vista partition active. Boot Vista, then download and install the > EasyBCD from www.neowin.net > It is then trivial to add a stanza to Vista bootloader (!) to boot > FreeBSD. > Sorry the correct link is: http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1 Manolis