From owner-freebsd-questions Tue Aug 13 00:02:38 1996 Return-Path: owner-questions Received: (from root@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) id AAA25966 for questions-outgoing; Tue, 13 Aug 1996 00:02:38 -0700 (PDT) Received: from mail.think.com (Mail1.Think.COM [131.239.33.245]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) with ESMTP id AAA25960 for ; Tue, 13 Aug 1996 00:02:36 -0700 (PDT) Received: from Early-Bird.Think.COM (Early-Bird-1.Think.COM [131.239.146.105]) by mail.think.com (8.7.5/m3) with ESMTP id DAA05683; Tue, 13 Aug 1996 03:02:12 -0400 (EDT) Received: from compound.Think.COM ([206.147.16.34]) by Early-Bird.Think.COM (8.7.5/e1) with ESMTP id DAA17728; Tue, 13 Aug 1996 03:02:08 -0400 (EDT) Received: (from alk@localhost) by compound.Think.COM (8.7.5/8.7.3) id CAA08051; Tue, 13 Aug 1996 02:03:07 -0500 (CDT) Date: Tue, 13 Aug 1996 02:03:07 -0500 (CDT) From: Tony Kimball Message-Id: <199608130703.CAA08051@compound.Think.COM> To: flexus!rfschtkt@colds.ruca.ua.ac.be cc: questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: After installing FreeBSD 2.1, my computer won't boot Sender: owner-questions@freebsd.org X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk Quoth Raf Schietekat on Mon, 5 August: : Non-essential: : Today I reinstalled NT to get some work done, because NT setup's repair did : nothing. That's what it usually does for me too, if I'm lucky. : Lost a lot... (Finger wagging:) If you don't make backups... : How can I boot FreeBSD from NT's NTLDR (what to put in BOOT.INI)? Should I : instead try Linux's multi-OS boot mechanism (I'm going to try that OS anyway)? I use ntldr with a boot.ini that runs bootsector code from germany that boots to the BSD drive. I will dust-off/ plug-inmy WinNT drive and find the bootsector generator and mail you a copy of my boot.ini, if you specifically request. As for linux, I have a poor opinion of the long-term maintenance cost of Linux and cannot recommend in favor of it. : Is it safe to install FreeBSD and leave the boot record alone (*will* it be : left alone, how will FreeBSD got booted)? Was this a unique problem for me : (specifying booteasy messing up the entire boot), or should this be pursued : further (whom to contact)? In my experience, installing FreeBSD always trashes everything. The first, biggest readme should say prominently, "Warning: Installing FreeBSD will render your system completely useless and corrupt all data within a 5 millisecond ping radius. While we do not know of any physical detonations to date, it is deemed inevitable that some unknown future release will cause the explosion of incompatible hardware at installation" : *** The year 2000 will be the last year of the 20th century. *** We should be so lucky. : PS: I unsubscribed from freebsd-questions@freebsd.org because it is swamping my : e-mail in box. If you want to learn enough to get started, avoid the major pitfalls, you should instead switch to questions-digest. Lesson 1: Backup. Lesson 2: Buy another hard drive.