From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Jun 20 17:42:38 2005 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8D34916A420 for ; Mon, 20 Jun 2005 17:42:38 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from keramida@freebsd.org) Received: from rosebud.otenet.gr (rosebud.otenet.gr [195.170.0.94]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 07D0D43D48 for ; Mon, 20 Jun 2005 17:42:37 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from keramida@freebsd.org) Received: from flame.pc (aris.bedc.ondsl.gr [62.103.39.226]) by rosebud.otenet.gr (8.13.4/8.13.4/Debian-1) with SMTP id j5KHgYbZ006491; Mon, 20 Jun 2005 20:42:34 +0300 Received: from flame.pc (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by flame.pc (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id j5KKgN6a029038; Mon, 20 Jun 2005 23:42:24 +0300 (EEST) (envelope-from keramida@freebsd.org) Received: (from keramida@localhost) by flame.pc (8.13.4/8.13.4/Submit) id j5KKgNvb029023; Mon, 20 Jun 2005 23:42:23 +0300 (EEST) (envelope-from keramida@freebsd.org) X-Authentication-Warning: flame.pc: keramida set sender to keramida@freebsd.org using -f Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 23:42:22 +0300 From: Giorgos Keramidas To: Benjamin Sher Message-ID: <20050620204222.GD727@flame.pc> References: <42B6DFA1.3030203@zebra.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <42B6DFA1.3030203@zebra.net> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Installing FreeBSD -- urgent hard drive issue X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 17:42:38 -0000 ## Redirected to freebsd-questions, since this is a more appropriate ## mailing list for this sort of discussion. On 2005-06-20 10:24, Benjamin Sher wrote: > Dear friends: > > I'm trying to install FreeBSD 5.4. The install CD that I created in > Nero is fine. I also printed out all the info I could on my system. I > have two primary hard drives, each 40G in capacity: The first one has > Windows XP on it. The second disk is completely blank. FreeBSD doesn't use letters for naming disk partitions. It uses a sort of hierarchical naming scheme, starting with the raw disks themselves, which are called: ad0 Primary master ad1 Primary slave ad2 Secondary master ad3 Secondary slave You currently have Windows installed on what FreeBSD calls "ad0". Thus, you should be _VERY_ careful while installing FreeBSD not to change anything on the "ad0" disk. You can partition, slice and assign space of "ad1" to your FreeBSD installation, in (more or less) any way you want. > I would like to install FreeBSD on this second disk and to use it > entirely. When I booted up to the Install screen I saw the option of > choosing ado or ad1. I did read about this earlier on the FreeBSD home > page. I chose ad1and then saw the Fdisk screen. I don't need to Fdisk > anything. I just want to use the second primary hard drive. "ad1" is your primary slave drive. You have done fine so far. > I am very much afraid that I might do something wrong and wipe out my > Windows installation. So, I chickened out and decided to ask for > further guidance from the list. I would recommend a good backup of your Windows installation first. Then you have no need to be afraid that you'll mess the Windows setup, because even if you do it won't matter at all. You'll just restore everything from your backup. > Could you please advise me on what precisely I should do at this > critical moment? Read the installation chapter of the Handbook. Very very carefully. Then save a good backup of your Windows machine offline, away from the installation machine. Finally, install FreeBSD, tweak it, hack it, play around as much as you want with it. If you have any questions you have while installing FreeBSD, or after the installation is done, please feel free to ask by posting at this mailing list that is dedicated to general FreeBSD questions: << freebsd-questions@freebsd.org >> Have fun with your FreeBSD installation, - Giorgos