Date: Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:05:18 +0000 From: Matthew Seaman <m.seaman@infracaninophile.co.uk> To: AG <computing.account@googlemail.com> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: New installation of FreeBSD with Debian dual boot Message-ID: <4B2510BE.2040007@infracaninophile.co.uk> In-Reply-To: <4B24E44C.5010609@gmail.com> References: <4B24E44C.5010609@gmail.com>
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AG wrote:
> Hello all
>=20
> I'm looking to install FreeBSD 8.0 on my system today, where it would=20
> dual boot with Debian. I have the *.iso all ready to go, so just wante=
d=20
> to check a couple of points before I log out of Debian and boot into th=
e=20
> DVD to install. Perhaps some veterans can advise me on the following:
>=20
>=20
> (1) The Debian is the only OS on my system, so I will have to resize th=
e=20
> partitions (I currently have /, swap, and /home). I am assuming that =
> (after backing up) there shouldn't be any problems in doing so, but is =
> the partition editor (i.e. the tools that one uses to allocate partitio=
n=20
> space) reasonably sane and plays nicely with a GNU/Linux distro?
Sure. The FreeBSD partition type in fdisk is 165 IIRC. Linux uses parti=
tions
from the MBR pretty much directly, but FreeBSD expects to have one big ch=
unk
of space (known in FreeBSD-speak as a *slice*) within which you create OS=
-level
partitions. Thus for SATA drives, Linux's /dev/hda1 (1st partition on th=
e=20
master drive (hda) on the first SATA bus) would be known to FreeBSD as /d=
ev/ad0s1
(slice one on the first drive (ad0)). If that slice contained a FreeBSD =
install,
then it would be sub divided into partitions /dev/ad0s1a [traditionally t=
he root
fs], /dev/ad0s1b [swap], /dev/ad0s1c [a legacy thing -- a partition cover=
ing the
whole of s1, not generally used for anything much nowadays] and /dev/ad0s=
1[d-z]
[data partitions or whatever you will].
The FreeBSD installer can only install into a primary partition and (I th=
ink)
FreeBSD can only boot from a 1ary partition, but otherwise it is possible=
to
access logical partitions.=20
Note that this is assuming you use the defaults available through the Sys=
install
program on the FreeBSD installation media. There are a number of new par=
titioning
schemes / disk management systems now available (gpart, ZFS) and also new=
disk
drivers (ada(4), ahci(4)) but these are not yet possible to set up throug=
h the
Sysinstall program and require things like booting off removable media an=
d then
hacking around with the command line inside a chroot to get going. (Prob=
ably
not something you should attempt on your first install).
FreeBSD has support for Linux ext3 filesystems, except it doesn't do jour=
nalling.
It's probably good enough for passing files between OS images though. Fa=
iling that,
you can use the MS-DOS derived FAT-32 filesystem as the lowest common den=
ominator.
Another trick is to fire up one of the OSes in a VM hosted on the other O=
S, and set
up network shares or the like between the two.
> (2) I use a Seagate FreeAgent USB drive to hold media files and back=20
> ups. With Debian I had to edit some rules and install a driver for=20
> this. What's the situation like under FreeBSD for supporting these=20
> kinds of external (NTFS) drives?
It should just work -- appropriate drivers will be autoloaded when you pl=
ug
the device in. The OS should find any disk partitions on the device, but=
you'll
still have to set up something to mount the filesystems. I think this ca=
n be done
automatically by suitable use of amd(8), but you'll have to google for th=
e
details.
> (3) If I wanted to share files between Debian and FreeBSD, aside from=20
> using a data stick are there any ways that I can access my Debian drive=
=20
> from FreeBSD and vice versa?
Oh, many weird and arcane ways, but I've already described most of the pr=
actical
ones.
> (4) I do intend to use the installation handbook, accessed via a=20
> different computer, while I install. Are there any gotchas in FreeBSD =
> 8.0 (for i386 architectures) that aren't covered in the handbook?
The Handbook is really very good. Of course,there are always problematic=
bits of hardware: laptops are often a bit tricky to install correctly and=
hard
to get all the hardware working right, but desktops and servers are a lot=
more forgiving and will either work straight away, require you to tweak =
some BIOS=20
settings / update your BIOS / turn off ACPI and then work fine or else ba=
sically
some critical device won't be supported and the whole thing will be a non=
-starter.
It's generally best with FreeBSD to aim to get the OS installed and boote=
d up
with minimal extras at first, then work from within the OS to install X, =
desktop environments, applications, setup user accounts etc. This will r=
equire a
reasonable degree of competence with the Unix CLI, and you'll need to rea=
d up
on such things as the ports, csup(1), portsnap(8), freebsd-update(8), pkg=
_add(1),
pkg_info(1), portupgrade(1) or portmaster(8) all of which are covered in =
the
Handbook pretty well.
Cheers,
Matthew
--=20
Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil. 7 Priory Courtyard
Flat 3
PGP: http://www.infracaninophile.co.uk/pgpkey Ramsgate
Kent, CT11 9PW
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