From owner-freebsd-mobile Fri Nov 24 4: 7:41 2000 Delivered-To: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.dev.itouchnet.net (mx1.dev.itouchnet.net [196.14.181.66]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E812037B4C5 for ; Fri, 24 Nov 2000 04:07:35 -0800 (PST) Received: from nobody by mx1.dev.itouchnet.net with scanned_ok (Exim 3.16 #1) id 13zHbz-0003Pb-00 for mobile@freebsd.org; Fri, 24 Nov 2000 14:05:51 +0200 Received: from devco.net ([196.14.181.39] helo=e0-ter-fw1.dev.itouchnet.net) by mx1.dev.itouchnet.net with esmtp (Exim 3.16 #1) id 13zHby-0003PS-00 for mobile@freebsd.org; Fri, 24 Nov 2000 14:05:50 +0200 Received: from dreamfall.prv.dev.itouchnet.net ([192.168.8.34]) by e0-ter-fw1.dev.itouchnet.net with esmtp (Exim 3.15 #1) id 13zHei-000IW4-00 for mobile@freebsd.org; Fri, 24 Nov 2000 14:08:40 +0200 Received: from ljb by dreamfall.prv.dev.itouchnet.net with local (Exim 3.16 #1 (Debian)) id 13zHhD-0000zx-00 for ; Fri, 24 Nov 2000 14:11:15 +0200 Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2000 14:11:15 +0200 From: Leon Breedt To: mobile@freebsd.org Subject: a20m & freebsd success Message-ID: <20001124141114.A3832@dreamfall.prv.dev.itouchnet.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.2.5i X-Checked: This message has been scanned for any virusses and unauthorized attachments. X-iScan: Version $Id: iScan,v 1.26 2000/10/08 14:12:55 rip Exp $ Sender: owner-freebsd-mobile@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Hi! I've managed to get FreeBSD going on one of these difficult IBM ThinkPad A20m's. I tried the solution suggested by David Lebel, but my model A20m just doesn't like any form of type 165 partition. So what I did is install FreeBSD, and then just before rebooting, change the type of the FreeBSD partition to 166 (OpenBSD), since I noticed the notebook has no problem with it. I chose to *not* install the FreeBSD boot loader, it probably wouldn't have worked with an OpenBSD type partition. Instead, since I use the GRUB bootloader (which has rudimentary ffs filesystem drivers), I could still point it at the correct /boot/loader to use for booting FreeBSD. And it works! Oh, and you don't need to take the machine in to any vendor to get it fixed if you installed and it won't boot...Pull the drive out (its located on the middle left side of your notebook, then power up the notebook, press F12 when it displays the prompt, and wait for the boot menu to appear. Once its displayed, push the drive back in, wait 10-15 seconds for it to power up, and select CDROM if you want to boot from a rescue cd, from which you can change the partition type. I don't think this will damage the drive, but no guarantees :). I was desperate and alone in a hotel room with no easily accessible 3rd party PCs :) Have fun! Leon. -- System Administrator, Devco : http://www.devco.net GSM : +27-82-789-1245 Office : +27-21-415-2140 To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-mobile" in the body of the message