Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2019 20:48:59 -0700 From: Frank Fenderbender <frankfenderbender@council124.org> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: query re: dual-boot on two separate HDDs Message-ID: <BEEA802E-BBA6-4327-A6CD-12A2BC059103@council124.org>
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I bought a Dell Precision 5820 Tower XCTO Base
RAM: 8 slots / 128GB maximum / 16GB per slot (I =
went with 32GB)
CPU/chipset: Intel Core i7-9800X 3.8GHz, 4.5GHz Turbo, 8C, =
16.5MB Cache, HT, (165W, DDR4-2666 Non-ECC
HDD: (2) 3.5" 1TB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drives
OS: Ubuntu Linux 16.04
Video card: Radeon Pro WX 2100, 2GB, DP, 2 mDP (5820T)
Monitor: Dell 22" - Model P2219H
I am adding the FreeBSD 12 install to the 2nd hard drive.
Often, the dual-boot instructions appear to be for a same-drive, =
different partition configuration.
I give each OS its own [whole] drive, in an attempt to assist in the =
avoidance of segmentation faults, corruptions, performance hits, and the =
like, often used by data, applications, and OS slam-dancing, as in a =
crowded "mosh pit".
So, with many well-meaning ways to botch this, I thought maybe someone =
had performed a similar sequence of steps that:
adds FreeBSD to a second drive
edits the GRUB/bootloader cfg file(s)
I am uncertain if Grub gets called by the BIOS call to the bootloader, =
and so, is specific to Ubuntu?
I would expect it to be dealing with partition choices on one drive, =
rather than stipulating starting a boot on another drive.=20
Examples:
Configuring Ubuntu Linux GRUB/GRUB2 to load FreeBSD using =
partitions on one HDD
=
https://cyberciti.biz/tips/configure-ubuntu-grub-to-load-freebsd.html
=
https://howtogeek.com/187789/dual-booting-explained-how-you-can-have-multi=
ple-operating-systems-on-your-computer/
=
https://forums.freebsd.org/threads/dual-booting-of-ubuntu-10-10-and-freebs=
d.23101/
=
https://linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/dual-booting-freebsd-a=
nd-linux-4175494277/
=
https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/109272/add-freebsd-to-grub2-boot-=
menu
=
https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/309964/installing-freebsd-alongsi=
de-linux
=
https://reddit.com/r/BSD/comments/9kbuzk/how_to_set_up_ubuntu_and_freebsd_=
to_dual_boot/
http://geodsoft.com/howto/dualboot/
Am I going to have to change the BIOS (or UEFI) boot order every time I =
want to change which OS comes up when [re]booted?
That is labor intensive, and I suspect that someone has shaken off the =
archaic ness of it with some other methods or pre-OS boot-up selection =
tool, I hope?
Isn't there a boot option key that will bring up a simple selection menu =
BEFORE one or another default OS has taken control?
Perhaps smarter firmware?
Maybe I could always have BIOS boot from a USB stick that contains code =
to toggle which is going to be considered the primary HDD,=20
acting as the director to one of two (or N) primary HDDs? I dunno, and =
reiterate, that I am currently in open eyes and ears mode.....
It seems to me that whatever is already sending the boot process to one =
drive, than that is where the change and menu need to exist, not on the =
one drive within its "default" boot OS; I do not want a default OS, if =
possible. I would like my menu to exist 'outside' of either (or "any", =
in the case of 2+ OS boot options) OS and internal hard drive.
This Dell system can handle 4 HDDs, so I could have a data HDD for each, =
keeping the OS drives clean, or add external USB HDDs along with two =
more OS internal HDDs (for instance, adding two more platforms as =
further ways of testing code for platform-independence, such as Project =
Trident, CentOS, Debian, and/or DragonflyBSD added to this and a second =
workstation).
=09
I am not telling Ubuntu's loader to look at a second possibility. I =
guess that what I want is the system's BIOS to provide the menu, read =
the OS boot selection, and load up an OS appropriately? Does that sound =
sane and possible?
I hope that my understanding of what is/can be done is near-to-correct, =
and if not, appreciate steps (or a URL) that educates me and shows me a =
path of steps) which provides a near-traceover for setting this up.
As to the FreeBSD, I am going with the Auto-UFS [non-ZFS/] default =
install to avoid complicating things with dependency issues, following =
the selections listed in Michael Bernal's "A Comprehensive Installation =
& Configuration Guide to the BSD Variants" (2018):
Welcome screen: Install
Keymap selection: Continue with default keymap
Set hostname: *******
Optional components: [ ] Base system (debugging)
[ ] Additional =
Documentation
[ ] Kernel =
(debugging)
[x] Ports tree
[ ] System =
source tree
[ ] Test suite
Partitioning your disk(s) [x] Auto (UFS) Guided Disk Setup
Selecting the entire disk [x] Entire disk
[ ] Partition
Selecting a partition scheme
NOTE: I am unclear re: 'GPT vs. MBR'?
All my Mac internal and shared USB drives are =
set up as GPT.
I do not trust Apple w/anything except running =
fashion shows, denying/ignoring bug=20
existences, and refusing both QA & pre-release =
testing
Their "FAT32" is nowhere compatible with that =
used by Linux and Windows,=20
but this is not an Apple claiming their "MBR and =
GPT methodology is correct, so...
So, your suggestions/advice is appreciated for =
this selection....
[ ] APM - Apple =
Partition Map
[ ] BSD - BSD =
labels
[ ] GPT - GUID =
Partition Table <<< any =
[dis]advantages ??
[ ] MBR - DOS =
Partitions <<< =
any [dis]advantages ??
[ ] PC98 - NEC =
PC9801 Partition Table
[ ] VTOC8 - Sun =
VTOC8 Partition Table
Review your partition setup
[x] Finish
Commit changes or revert & exit
[x] Commit
Installation process begins
...
Enter password:
*************
Select network interface to configure
[OK] there is =
only one NIC
Configuring IPv4 & DHCP
Configure IPv4? [Yes]
Use DHCP? [No]
Static IP address *.*.*.*
Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
Default Router *.*.*.*
[OK]
Recursive name servers 208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220
Region [2] America - North and =
South
Select country or region [49] United States of America
Time zone [21] Pacific
NOTE: I am unclear re: two options here, so opinions =
will help
Service to start at boot [ ] Local caching validating =
resources <<< any [dis]advantages ??
[x] Secure shell =
daemon
[ ] PS/2 mouse =
pointer on console
[ ] Synchronize =
system and network time <<< any [dis]advantages ??
[ ] Adjust CPU =
frequency dynamically if supported
[x] Enable =
kernel crash dumps to /usr/crash
System hardening options
[ ] Hide =
processes running as other users
[ ] Hide =
processes running as other groups
[ ] Disable =
reading kernel message buffer for unprivileged users
[ ] Disable =
process debugging facilities for unprivileged users
[ ] Randomize =
the PID of newly created processes
[ ] Insert =
stack guard page ahead of the growable segments
[ ] Clean the =
/tmp filesystem on system startup
[x] Disable =
opening Syslogd network socket (disables remote logging)
[x] Disable =
Sendmail service
Finishing up (order of options presumes that the step returns =
until exited...)
[4] Apply =
configuration and exit installer
[1] Add a user =
to the system
[ ] Change root =
password
[ ] Set system =
hostname
[ ] Networking =
configuration
[ ] Set daemons =
to run on starting
[2] Set security =
options
[ ] Set system =
timezone
[3] Install =
FreeBSD Handbook (requires network)
If there are 'dual-boot' setup steps before and/or after the FreeBSD =
install, please indicate them, as well as their place in the overall =
sequence.=20
If you prefer to confer offline, than that is fine by me. Just send me a =
direct email and we can avoid a back-and-forth Q&A stack of email that =
may arise,=20
Thanks very much. ;-)
chris
frankfenderbender@council124.org
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