Date: Mon, 7 May 2001 09:39:47 -0700 (PDT) From: Ian Thomas <ipthomas_77@yahoo.com> To: James Tapping <james@fr.clara.net> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: freebsd bootdisk Message-ID: <20010507163947.30814.qmail@web11304.mail.yahoo.com> In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.21.0105071024280.18193-100000@munster.noc.fr.clara.net>
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Did this machine originally have DOS one of its
variants(DR DOS) on it. I had an old drive that had
an old DOS bootloader on it that I had a heckuva time
removing. Once the DOS OS was gone it wouldn't see a
filesystem it recognized and would ask for a boot
disk. I know there is a way to write over the first
part of a disk with dd but I don't remember how(I
think I saw it on this list). I know it's a long shot
but see if you can get a serial number off the mobo
and find out more info on it. I have an old IBM
thinkpad that gives me no bios options at all. It
used to have WIN 3.1 on it. Let me know how it turns
out, I'm going to be playing around with two old 486's
myself in the next few weeks.
Ian
--- James Tapping <james@fr.clara.net> wrote:
>
>
> On Sun, 6 May 2001, Sue Blake wrote:
>
> > Follow-ups to James and -questions please.
> > No discussion of install problems should be held
> on -newbies.
> >
> > On Sat, May 05, 2001 at 01:47:02PM +0200, James
> Tapping wrote:
> > >
> > > Hello
> > >
> > > I am new too FreeBSD and coming from the linux
> world...I have an old
> > > 486 machine that I use as a NAT gateway using
> Debian Linux, and I
> > > have never managed to get the machine to boot
> from the harddrive
> > > (even after using a /boot partition etc), so i
> quite happily use a
> > > boot-diskette. So my question is what and how
> does one do the
> > > equivalent thing in FreeBSD?
> >
> > That arrangement is a Linuxism that I've heard of
> before but don't
> > fully understand. There is no direct equivalent
> for FreeBSD, because
> > the two operating systems boot entirely
> differently. In order to solve
> > your problem for FreeBSD, you need to start again
> with a totally
> > FreeBSD approach, first defining the problem in an
> OS-independent
> > manner.
> >
> > > Yes, I have tried installing a FreeBSD on the
> machine and it doesn't
> > > want to boot either, the machine justs asks for
> a diskette (nothing
> > > in the bios settings either, its an IBM 433 DXS)
> > >
> > > Any ideas?
> >
> > What version of FreeBSD are you installing?
>
> 4.3
>
> > How much RAM does the machine have?
>
> 16MB
>
> > How big is the hard disk, are you using all of it
>
> 3.2 gig and yes
>
> Slicing, I used all of it...
>
> > Did the standard FreeBSD installation succeed?
>
> Yes until the moment where the machine reboots. And
> then of course it
> dosen't :-) I don't see the words freeBSD atall, I
> get an ascii drawing
> obviously asking me to put a diskette in the
> drive..., this comes from
> the PC and nothing to do with Freebsd...It's an old
> machine and I am sure
> that this is where the problem is coming from.
>
> > How much RAM does the machine have? That could be
> a limiting factor.
> > How big is the hard disk, are you using all of it,
> and how have you
> > sliced it (DOSSpeak=partition) for FreeBSD? We
> usually use a single
> > slice and make partitions within that, unlike
> Linux.
> > Did the standard FreeBSD installation succeed? If
> so, where
> > do you first read the word "FreeBSD" when you try
> to boot?
> >
> > If the machine has FreeBSD installed and is asking
> for a boot diskette,
> > I can't imagine that it would be FreeBSD making
> that request. Perhaps
> > scraps of the old boot manager remain?
> >
> > > please reply personally as I am not subscribed
> to questions@ on newbies
> >
> > No problem.
> >
> > Perhaps you'll see someone on freebsd-questions
> correct me (and cc you)
> > if I've said anything wrong. Meanwhile, James, can
> you provide some
> > more information to freebsd-questions so that the
> support volunteers
> > can help you? Exactly what have you got, and what
> have you done with it
> > so far? If anyone can help you, they will do so on
> freebsd-questions
> > with a cc to you but you might have to help the
> helpers a little more.
> >
> > --
> >
> > Regards,
> > -*Sue*-
>
> Thanks :-)
>
> >
> >
> > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org
> > with "unsubscribe freebsd-newbies" in the body of
> the message
> >
>
>
> To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org
> with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of
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