From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Nov 20 16:29:04 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B4A2C16A46B for ; Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:29:04 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jerrymc@gizmo.acns.msu.edu) Received: from gizmo.acns.msu.edu (gizmo.acns.msu.edu [35.8.1.43]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8ABB713C4CC for ; Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:29:03 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jerrymc@gizmo.acns.msu.edu) Received: from gizmo.acns.msu.edu (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by gizmo.acns.msu.edu (8.13.6/8.13.6) with ESMTP id lAKGOmkN041081; Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:24:48 -0500 (EST) (envelope-from jerrymc@gizmo.acns.msu.edu) Received: (from jerrymc@localhost) by gizmo.acns.msu.edu (8.13.6/8.13.6/Submit) id lAKGOl1I041080; Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:24:47 -0500 (EST) (envelope-from jerrymc) Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:24:47 -0500 From: Jerry McAllister To: Christoper Tucker Message-ID: <20071120162447.GA41051@gizmo.acns.msu.edu> References: <20071120015346.S86095@claw.ees.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20071120015346.S86095@claw.ees.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.2i Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: FreeBSD, 160GB HD, and a Bios limitation X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:29:04 -0000 On Tue, Nov 20, 2007 at 02:18:15AM -0700, Christoper Tucker wrote: > > Hi there > > > > I have a 600mhz PIII computer with an older BIOS that will not > > recognize my 160GB new HD that I installed for use with FreeBSD. > > > > I can install FBSD if I limit the drive to 32GB, but before I settle > > with that, is there a way I can access the entire drive > > |Have you tried and failed to install FreeBSD? > > I have successfully installed FreeBSD with the drive limited to 32GB. > > I have also successfully installed FreeBSD withthe drive set to 160GB, > although FBSD seems to see only 120GB of that, and also displays the > following warning during install: > > "WARNING: A gemoetry of 248015/16/63 for ad0 is incorrect. Using a more > likely geometry. If this geometry is incorrect or you are unsure as to > whether or not it's correct, please consult the Hardware Guide int he > Documentation submenu or use the (G)eometry command to change it now. > Remember: you need to enter whatever your BIOS thinks the geometry is! For > IDE, it's what you were told in the BIOS setups. For SCSI, it's the > translation mode your controller is using. Do NOT use a "physical > geomtery."" I can't guarantee that it applies to your situation, but I always get those messages and just ignore them. FreeBSD deals with it correctly. There are some FAQs and postings in the archive and a couple of online articles that talk about it. I don't have time to go looking now, but you can find it as easily as I can. ////jerry > > I did not find a solution in the documentation. Using the (G)eometry > command is something I don't understand. :) My BIOS reads the drive fine > when it is limited to 32GB, or when the drive is limited to less than 66GB > (The drive size can by limited via a utility from Seagate ... i determined > that using a size of 61GB works fine in the BIOS, but using 66BG does not > work in the BIOS. There's probably an exact figure between 61 and 66GB > where the maximum is, but I decided not to do further tests) > > Here's what FDISK reports during the FBSD install: > http://imagebin.org/11910 > I used the "all" command here. Using the Seagate utility, the drive had > earlier been set to 160GB, yet the installer sees 120GB here, it seems. > > DMESG report here: > http://imagebin.org/11911 > > df -h command result here: > http://imagebin.org/11912 > > If FreeBSD can use 120GB of the 160GB available, that's GREAT! I'd be > happy with that. But will there be any problems since the bios reports > only that a maximum drive size of 61-66GB is OK? If I select a disk size > larger than the 61GB figure (roughly) BIOS locks up on the hard drive > menu (the computer will boot, but if i try and view the HD section of the > BIOS menu, bios locks up and i have to ctrl-alt-del). > > If FReeBSD can see 120GB, what happened to the other 40GB? Is there a > danger that I could wind up writing data to nowhere or having some other > disk problem if I install FBSD this way? > > |Normally the limititation is just that the root partition must be within > |the area that the bios can see. > > Thanks! Chris > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org"