Date: Fri, 05 Nov 1999 23:43:00 +0100 From: Roelof Osinga <roelof@nisser.com> To: cjclark@home.com Cc: FreeBSD Questions <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: Re: how to boot from floppy disk? Message-ID: <38235D74.BA09FA70@nisser.com> References: <199911052203.RAA24600@cc942873-a.ewndsr1.nj.home.com>
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"Crist J. Clark" wrote:
>
> I just go with HDD.
Like that's better? :)
> Which previous message? Anyway, I think I guessed what you are trying
> to say. You can't tell your BIOS to use this device in its own menu?
> And if that is true, you don't think the boot(8) code could boot from
> it either. Probably true.
No, it's as described in the /share/FAQ, I believe 39. The geometry does
not get detected properly, to be fixed by putting a DOS partition on the
disk. But said disk was, of course, dedicated <g>.
> > > Why are you using 'boot -c'?
>
> But I meant that you complain that you go to sysinstall and then can
> only reboot to get back out. Why go into sysinstall at all?
>
> Well, like I asked the fist time, why are you going into the install
> procedure at all?
>
> Don't use the -c option.
I have come to relish the few times that I'm right about things BSD. This
looks to be one of those times <g>. I use -c to get UserConfig as stated
by Greg on page 194. Indeed boot(8) says so too (good may in fact come
from discussions and reading man pages since the -a option above looks
promising, will test shortly).
What happens without the -c is that I get presented the Kernel
Configuration Menu, after which things proceed as described for the
-c case. So all skipping -c does is introduce an intermediairy step.
> I _believe_ the kern.flp is boot blocks and kernel. mfsroot.flp has
> stand/sysinstall and those type of utilities. You can look
> at... at... I can't find a kern.flp handy, if you look at loader.conf
> or loader.rc, you can see the code that makes it prompt for the
> mfsroot.flp. Take that stuff out.
I believe those had sizes 0.
> Ahh, a "dangerously dedicated" disk. You were warned! ;P
Yeah, well, winchester I can remember but the rest.... I blame it on
cellular phones. Not that I got any, but for excusing purposes they'll
do.
> Anyway, I actually want to be able to do this myself. I have a machine
> that usually functions as a src tree and ports dist server, but is
> also a backup. It ususally boots fine from the BIOS onto the IDE HDDs,
> but I am mirroring the machines it backs up on the various dangerously
> dedicated SCSI HDDs hanging off of it. It is an ol' 486, so I am 99.9%
> sure the BIOS will not like those SCSI drives. I plan on making up
> floppies to boot off of each backup should it need to take up the
> role. Then if there is a problem when I am not around, anyone can toss
> the disk labeled "mail backup" or "firewall backup" into the box and
> reboot it as that machine.
>
> I'll report my results when I find some time to get that working.
Please do, since I'm stumped. The "boot -acv" didn't work in that
it did not prompt me for a root device. Same old samo.
The mfsroot diskette contains but a gzipped mfsroot file of ca. 700K. The
kern flop contains more, but nothing that jumps out. The most interesting
is ./boot/loader.config and all it does is echo beeps and
load -t mfs_root /mfsroot # gee whiz, it already has set root!
# small wonder the -a didn't work
autoboot 10
and that's it. Unless I'm mistaken it's the autoboot 10 that prompts
the prompt I use to abort and execute "set rootdev=disk1s1a:" and
"boot -acv". But nothing about why the ./stand/sysinstall should be
executed, not why it reboots.
I wish thee luck and await thine results with bated breadth!
Roelof
--
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