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Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1996 18:20:46 +0200 (IST)
From: Nadav Eiron <nadav@barcode.co.il>
To: gary woodward <gw@cyber-coupon.com>
cc: questions@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: get installed but will not bootup
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On Sun, 8 Dec 1996, gary woodward wrote:

> 
> sorry to bother you,
> 
> I am trying to install freebsd on my 486-100 with 16 meg ram on a
> dedicated hard drive (850meg).  I only have been successful on the the
> first attempt to install (that time I lost my password and login-so it was
> hosed), it was probably luck.  On subsequent attempts, I get through the
> window that says that freebsd is installed and do i want to add users,
> etc.  I then take out the install boot diskett and reboot-nothing happens.
> I have the proper geometry on the disk installed.  1654/16/63.
> I boot up with the install floppy but only get the installation window.
> 
> My question is when I configure my hard drive for (I want to use bootmgr)
> do I select q for quit or w for write?  It seems that I am installing but
> the machine is unable to find the bootmgr to get to freebsd.
> I have tried dedication of the entire hard drive to freebsd and also have
> tried leaving the boot sector intact with freebsd as a partition.  The
> issue is with my drive geometry i am sure.

Use q.

> 
   [snip]
> 
> thanks
> 
> gary
> 
> 
> 
> Cyber-coupon.com (tm)
> 
> An exciting, cost effective advertising/promotion medium for your DC area
> business.  Send email to <info@cybercoupon.com> for more information.
> 

Is this the first disk you're installing to?
In any case, when reinstalling FreeBSD after a failed installation, it is 
better to first delete all the partitions that were left over from the 
previous installations (they may confuse sysinstall).

If it isn't the first disk, you have to tell FreeBSD to put bootmgr on 
the first disk by either:

1. Selecting both disks as the destination for installation, and only 
specifying the bootmgr for the first disk, without creating any partitions.

2. Installing it when booting from DOS (see bootinst in the \tools 
directory).

When you say "nothing happens when I reboot" what do you mean? Does the 
machine hang? Does it give any error messages?

Nadav