From owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Nov 8 13:47:22 2005 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 820F416A425 for ; Tue, 8 Nov 2005 13:47:22 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from ke.han@redstarling.com) Received: from smtp103.biz.mail.mud.yahoo.com (smtp103.biz.mail.mud.yahoo.com [68.142.200.238]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with SMTP id 2730643D45 for ; Tue, 8 Nov 2005 13:47:22 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from ke.han@redstarling.com) Received: (qmail 43598 invoked from network); 8 Nov 2005 13:47:21 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO ?192.168.1.2?) (jhancock@patternware.com@218.79.213.163 with plain) by smtp103.biz.mail.mud.yahoo.com with SMTP; 8 Nov 2005 13:47:21 -0000 Message-ID: <4370AC6A.1010804@redstarling.com> Date: Tue, 08 Nov 2005 21:47:22 +0800 From: "ke.han" User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0.6 (Windows/20050716) X-Accept-Language: en-us, en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Subject: install problems for freeBSD 6 on tyan i7520 X-BeenThere: freebsd-current@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussions about the use of FreeBSD-current List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 08 Nov 2005 13:47:22 -0000 I have a new server built around the Tyan i7520 motherboard. I am having a tremendously difficult time getting freeBSD 6 to find a hard drive to install to. I have a floppy connected to the mainboard through a separate controller and a CD connected through a separate controller channel. This is standard for this board. I have tried many scenarios for connecting a single hard drive, such as: 1 - running the system with just one EIDE hard drive (+ floppy and CD) connected to the motherboard PATA controller. 2 - running the system with just one SATA hard drive (+ floppy and CD) connected to the motherboard SATA controller. In all cases (with many tries of different BIOS settings), the freeBSD installer always says it cannot find a hard drive. The BIOS sees it. The boot loader sees it. When I run lsdev from the phase 3 prompt, the drives seem to be there named just as the boot loader and BIOS see them. I just don't get it!!!! The installer seems brain dead. Yes, the hardware works. Installing Centos 4.2 and Windows 2003 Server works perfect in all these configurations. Here are a few other oddities: 1 - The floppy drive is only recognized (for kld load) if I disable the BIOS onboard SATA. This is very odd. I need the floppy to load drivers like the 3ware 9550sx controller. 2 - If I go into phase 3 boot loader prompt, lsdev shows various drives I may have plugged in. lsdev seems correct and matches the BIOS...but the installer still says I have no hard disk to install to. My ultimate goal is to install to an array from my 3ware 9550sx controller. But I have scaled back this goal and unplugged the 3ware card for all the above tests. I have tried various phase 3 commands such as: set hint.fdc.0.flags="1" load atadisk set hint.acpi.0.disabled="1" Any ideas??? I have become the laughing stock of my office for continuing down the freeBSD route when Linux installs like a charm. thanks, ke han