Date: Wed, 24 Nov 1999 15:28:59 -0500 (EST) From: Kenneth W Cochran <kwc@world.std.com> To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Subject: 3.3-stable rendered unbootable by Slackware, fix? Message-ID: <199911242028.PAA01478@world.std.com>
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(msg asked in -questions, no reply, so asking in -stable, possibly -hackers...) Hi, Problem(s): 1. FreeBSD (3.3-stable) no longer bootable, even though everything (slices, partitions, disklabel?) appears to be "there" upon examination with boot/install floppy, but I can't see anything (yet) with the fixit floppy or CD. Is there a "reasonably safe" way for recovery? (Ie. perhaps using fixit and/or installation tools and/or fdisk and/or disklabel?) 2. Linux LILO (Slackware 4 & 7) gives error message when trying to set up BSD partition for booting. "First sector of /dev/sdb1 doesn't contain a valid partition signature" ?? (Quoting from memory; can't get actual text right now...) I think I can fix this if I can get FreeBSD back to working... I've been multi-booting FreeBSD, MS-DOS & Slackware for months, just fine with LILO. Installation of Slackware 7 appears to have overwritten something in the FreeBSD partition/slice. Also, reinstallation of SW4 does the same thing. I have *lots* of books, manuals, docs, etc., but nothing to really explain the intricacies of disklabel... Partition (slice) layout is as follows: (/dev/sdb) 1. BSD (a5), start cyl 2, end cyl 197 2. Linux boot/root (/, type 83), start cyl 199, end cyl 203 3. DOS-extended (contains other Linux partitions) 4. (empty) LILO uses the MBR of sda, the 1st hdd (DOS is on that one). I remember now... What I've done before (that worked) was to delete the FreeBSD partition with fdisk (#1 in my case, SW boot is #2), install & configure my Linux kernel & add the FreeBSD partition back in just like it was before. Yes, this has always worked fine (just make sure to write down the numbers...)... I've used this "technique" to "hide" FreeBSD from Slackware's install; Slackware has BSD filesystem support in the install kernel & it causes all kinds of trouble... The *major* thing I need to do now is getting FreeBSD bootable again. Linux is expendable for now, FreeBSD is not... If necessary, I can "switch to voice..." Naturally, faq/doc pointers are most welcome. BAD BAD BAD Slackware... :( Many thanks, -kc To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-stable" in the body of the message
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