From owner-freebsd-ppc@FreeBSD.ORG  Wed Dec 19 19:23:06 2007
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-ppc@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-ppc@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 344F016A417
	for <freebsd-ppc@freebsd.org>; Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:23:06 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from grehan@freebsd.org)
Received: from dommail.onthenet.com.au (dommail.OntheNet.com.au [203.13.70.57])
	by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C84E313C455
	for <freebsd-ppc@freebsd.org>; Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:23:05 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from grehan@freebsd.org)
Received: from peter-grehans-power-mac-g5.local (nat-198-95-226-230.netapp.com
	[198.95.226.230]) by dommail.onthenet.com.au (MOS 3.7.5a-GA)
	with ESMTP id DKA32948 (AUTH peterg@ptree32.com.au);
	Thu, 20 Dec 2007 05:22:59 +1000 (EST)
Message-ID: <47696F8F.7080008@freebsd.org>
Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2007 11:22:55 -0800
From: Peter Grehan <grehan@freebsd.org>
User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.9 (Macintosh/20071031)
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: James Earl <james@icionline.ca>
References: <7039ada60712191101r43d9ed6dy9ad179de3a0974df@mail.gmail.com>
	<7039ada60712191105u3067a6edv626aec1f4e653612@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <7039ada60712191105u3067a6edv626aec1f4e653612@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Cc: freebsd-ppc@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: Single slice for FreeBSD
X-BeenThere: freebsd-ppc@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
Reply-To: grehan@freebsd.org
List-Id: Porting FreeBSD to the PowerPC <freebsd-ppc.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-ppc>,
	<mailto:freebsd-ppc-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-ppc>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-ppc@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-ppc-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-ppc>,
	<mailto:freebsd-ppc-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:23:06 -0000

Hi James,

> I think I may be confusing partitions and slices.  Correct me if I'm
> wrong please.  The subject should probably be "Single partition for
> FreeBSD"?

  It's all a bit confusing since the terms in FreeBSD are usually 
PC-centric.

  Disks on power mac's are carved up using an Apple Partition Map and 
not  a PC-style MBR. The individual sections are 'partitions' in Apple 
terminology, but are 'slices' in FreeBSD MBR terminology. To confuse 
things even more, FreeBSD then subdivides up MBR 'slices' into BSD 
'partitions', e.g. /dev/ad0s4a.

  FreeBSD/ppc doesn't subdivide Apple partitions. I guess it could using 
GPT, but that would also involve a change to the bootloader.

  In any event, I htink you are right: the terminology you want is a 
partition. Unfortunately the auto-create partitions in the disklabel 
part of sysinstall is busted - you have to manually do this. My 
recommendation is to select the Apple partition you want to use (e.g. 
/dev/ad0s8), put '/' on that, and optionally use another partition for swap.

later,

Peter.