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From: Dimitri Vlahakis <dcv@panix.com>
Message-Id: <199604022216.RAA26557@panix.com>
Subject: Booting large (>1024cyl)ide from floppy?
To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 1996 17:16:11 -0500 (EST)
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(also posted to comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc.)

For various reasons I am forced to install freebsd on an IDE drive past the
1024th cylinder.  This computer doesn't support booting partitions past that
point in its bios.

However, I know that Freebsd is able to happily access the partition I have 
set aside for the install, as I have unsuccessfully (due to unrelated 
problems) tried to install and have had no file system errors.  I also
have a linux boot partition in that same >1024 section of this ide drive,
and I am able to boot that partition simply by booting the linux kernel
off the floppy.

I would like to do the same with freebsd, ie boot my system from the floppy
drive (since the kernel probably can deal with the hard drive, just the
bios boot code seems to be the problem.)  Is there any way to install just
the kernel to a floppy disk and have it access the hard drive to load the
rest of the file system?  Or at least enough of the kernel so that it will 
not use the bios boot code?  

I'm not sure if it would be sufficient for me to just type hd(1,c) or 
something to that effect when the partition choice is given by the
install disk.

Thanks a million for the help,

Dimitri