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Date:      Mon, 13 Oct 1997 22:18:10 -0500
From:      "Tyson V. Whitcomb" <whitcomb@iquest.net>
To:        questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Installing FreeBSD 2.2.2 on Pentium w/ multile controllers and disks
Message-ID:  <3.0.3.32.19971013221810.007a96b0@pop.iquest.net>

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Dear Guru(s):

I spent eight evenings trying to install the FreeBSD 2.2.2 on a pentium
IBM-compatible personal computer. No luck after 24 attempts.  I receive
only one operating system load prompt (F1=DOS, for loading my Win 95 and
Win NT 4.0) when cold or warm booting after an error free and novice
FreeBSD installation.


Why do I not get a second operating system load prompt for FreeBSD 2.2.2?
Please help.


My pentium ATT Globalyst 600 9machine has 128 MB memory and 90 MHz clock
speed.

Four internal disks: two ide drives, one master and one slave, on one
enhanced on-board ide controller; the third ide drive mastered a second
stardard on-board ide controller; and a fourth scsi drive on the first of
two 2940x adaptec scsi controllers.

A 6x Plextor cdrom drive, HP6000 Superstore tape drive, and Iomega 1GB
external
zip drive are scsi and connect to the second 2940x adaptec scsi controller.
 
An added pci S3 video card defaults over the built-in VGA video controller.

My install attempts place the boot manager on the the first drive (the
mastered
ide drive on the enhanced primary ide controller, drive C: MS-DOS
7.00-Windows 95a) and the FreeBSD partition correctly labeled on the third
drive (the only
ide drive on the second standard ide controller). The 6x Plextor cdrom is the
scsi device only used during installation. There are no and were no FreeBSD
partitions of any version installed on any drive (drive 1, 2 or 4), except
drive3.

I used the pfdisk to correctly determine drive 3's geometry (707 cylinders,
32 heads, 63 sectors = 697MB,  which are normally translated by the cmos to
1416 cylinders, 16 heads, 63 sectors = 697MB).  A small MS-DOS partition
was created on the third (3) ide drive, contaning the entire FreeBSD
parition and all defaul labels) to help FreeBSD recognize the drive
geometry as suggested.  I also correct configured the kernel with the boot
floppy using the visual mode resulting in no conflicts or unneeded devices.

Again, no errors or usual events ocurred during a novice installaition using
either customized or default settings.

Even though I am new to unix and FreeBSD 2.2.2 in particular, why am I
having somuch trouble just getting the FreeBSD boot PF prompt and/or
loading FreeBSD.
My Windows 95a and Windows NT 4.0 versions install the first time with no
errors or conflicts and all the forementioned devices present and working.

Please respond soon.  I want to learn and use what I am told is a great os.


Sincerely,


Tyson V. Whitcomb
whitcomb@iquest.net
317-257-8416 home tel
317-257-5886 home fax
317-843-3784 work tel

Tyson Whitcomb
Senior Network Consultant
Whitcomb & Associates
6835 Sextant Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46260-6417
317-257-8416 Tele
317-257-5886 Fax
whitcomb@iguest.net e-mail



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