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Date:      Mon, 10 Feb 2003 01:13:29 +0000
From:      John Murphy <jfm@blueyonder.co.uk>
To:        Joe Springer <joespr@yahoo.com>
Cc:        newbies@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: Install from DOS partition: this newbie is totally confused
Message-ID:  <eusd4vkj3uuru3kmdmof8pr8aklh4p8ri8@4ax.com>
In-Reply-To: <20030210000702.20209.qmail@web12301.mail.yahoo.com>
References:  <20030210000702.20209.qmail@web12301.mail.yahoo.com>

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>Install FreeBSD 5 from DOS partition: Newbie totally
>confused.

I'm not surprised.  5.0 release is 'Alpha ware' and installing
from a DOS partition is perhaps the trickiest way, however:

>I am attempting to install FreeBSD 5 from DOS
>partition, but I am stymied. Here's where I am so far:
>
>1. Created kern floppy: kern.flp using fdimage
>2. Created mfsroot floppy : mfsroot.flp using fdimage
>3. Copied entire CD (disk1) to DOS partition, to
>C:\freebsd
>
>The machine I want to install on has no CD-ROM drive.
>
>So this is what I do:
>
>1. Insert kern floppy in A: and power on.
>Looks good, get the same kind of output as in the
>FreeBSD handbook, after a few minutes I get the
>message to put in the MFS root floppy. So I do.
>
>2. Insert mfsroot floppy and press enter.=20
>Things continue happily for a few moments, I get the
>message
>	"Hit [Enter] to boot immediately, or any other key
>for command prompt.=20
>	Booting [kernel] in 9 seconds... "
>OK, so PC reboots with mfsboot floppy in it.

It certainly shouldn't re-boot at this stage.  Is this 'known good'
hardware?

>3. Upon reboot, I see the following:=20
>	FreeBSD/i386 boot
>	Default: 0:fd(0,a)/boot/loader
>	boot:

As you would if you simply booted the 2nd. disk.

>Now what to I do?

Describe the hardware you're using and ask on FreeBSD-questions.
Or try 4.7 release first.

>I though I was supposed to get the Kernel
>Configuration Menu.=20

You would have done usually.  But the generic kernel on the kern.flp
disc is not able to survive your hardware.  You could try re-writing it.

>How do I get the menu?=20
>I assume I want to get to the menu by accessing the CD
>files I copied to C:. But how?

You'll see ;)

>Also, I made a drivers floppy (drivers.flp) which the
>drivers.txt says contains msdosfs which I assume I
>will need to use to access the current C:, but how do
>I do this?

You may be at the leading edge here, but I expect others have
installed 5.0 this way.  I'll try it myself if you get nowhere.

It's worth the trouble.

John.

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