Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 16:09:07 -0700 (PDT) From: Jamil Weatherbee <support@cdrom.com> To: questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Boot Manager/ BSD on second disk (fwd) Message-ID: <Pine.BSI.3.93.960627160851.2568Q-100000@mother.cdrom.com>
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Technical Support Walnut Creek CDROM ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 26 Jun 110 14:41:32 -0700 (PDT) From: Jim Dennis <jimd@mcafee.com> To: Sridhar Krishnan <skrishna@cisco.com> Cc: questions@freebsd.org, support@cdrom.com, kopti@seas.gwu.edu Subject: Re: Boot Manager/ BSD on second disk (fwd) > > Hi BSD'ers, > > This is in response to my earlier posting re: booting FreeBSD off the > second hard disk. > > I have not recvd. much any solutions thus far. When I re-installed the > whole thing again, I got a message "root system is read-only" in a > dialog-box. Does anybody know what this means ? > > What I have found is the following: > > - If I install the BootEasy (during the sysinstall), the MBR is put on the > boot area of the second disk (because FreeBSD is on second disk ?). I > changed BIOS to look at second disk first for booting purposes, and I got > the F1- dos, F2- BSD prompt. F2 would boot fine from the hard disk but > would error with a > > panic: error in root (I don't recall the exact string). > > I have to try to use the fixit floppy to see if I can fsck the root system. > > I tried several options on the BIOS to "enable/disable" parameter > mapping etc. > > - The install diskette has an option to change the root file system at > the Boot: prompt. I tried -a flag, but it did not seem to work. > > TIA, > Sridhar Krishnan I've heard (but have not yet verified) that the LOADLIN.EXE program (written for Linux) will load FreeBSD kernels. Basically all you have to do is make a copy of your kernel to one of your DOS partitions (or a DOS floppy if it will fit) and install/configure LOADLIN.EXE (available at ftp://sunsite.unc.edu) After that you should be able to load FreeBSD using a DOS batch file. I've used LOADLIN for Linux -- and it's definitely easier and more flexible than LILO (their default boot loader) -- especially for multi-boot configurations. It can be use in a SHELL= directive in the CONFIG.SYS (using DOS 6.x+ and Win '95 multiple configuration options, or the old MBOOT.SYS), and it can deal with VCPI (memory managers like QEMM). Naturally loading *ix is a one way trip -- you have to reboot from Unix to get back to DOS. There is also an alternative OS boot loader listed in the web pages at http://www.freebsd.org. I don't remember the details and haven't used it. Jim Dennis, former System Administrator, McAfee Associates
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