From owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG  Tue Dec 30 18:44:49 2008
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: current@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 448B6106566B
	for <current@freebsd.org>; Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:44:49 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from luigi@onelab2.iet.unipi.it)
Received: from onelab2.iet.unipi.it (onelab2.iet.unipi.it [131.114.9.129])
	by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id F40738FC1F
	for <current@freebsd.org>; Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:44:48 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from luigi@onelab2.iet.unipi.it)
Received: by onelab2.iet.unipi.it (Postfix, from userid 275)
	id 6325F73098; Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:49:34 +0100 (CET)
Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:49:34 +0100
From: Luigi Rizzo <rizzo@iet.unipi.it>
To: Ken Smith <kensmith@freebsd.org>, current@freebsd.org
Message-ID: <20081230184934.GA34454@onelab2.iet.unipi.it>
References: <200812301716.mBUHGqog099435@svn.freebsd.org>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Disposition: inline
In-Reply-To: <200812301716.mBUHGqog099435@svn.freebsd.org>
User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.3i
Cc: 
Subject: sysinstall, boot sector and disk serial number
X-BeenThere: freebsd-current@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
List-Id: Discussions about the use of FreeBSD-current
	<freebsd-current.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-current>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-current-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-current>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-current@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-current-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-current>,
	<mailto:freebsd-current-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:44:49 -0000

Ken (or others if they know something about this),
the newer boot0 code (and boot0cfg) know how to preserve the 'disk
serial number' (volume ID, serial ID or whatever Windows calls it),
which is something that XP and presumably VISTA as well write in 
the MBR at offset 0x1b8.

fdisk unfortunately only preserves the partition table.
 
So, I was wondering which tool is used by sysinstall to install the MBR,
and whether would you consider switching to boot0cfg if not used yet.

	cheers
	luigi