Date: Sun, 23 Nov 2014 22:30:53 +1100 From: Rob Diamond <robd@spin.net.au> To: Nathan Whitehorn <nwhitehorn@freebsd.org>, freebsd-sysinstall@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Suggested option for the DVD Installer Message-ID: <5471C56D.4070701@spin.net.au> In-Reply-To: <546E11FC.4020402@freebsd.org> References: <546DBC66.6060508@spin.net.au> <546E11FC.4020402@freebsd.org>
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Hi Nathan, Thanks very much for taking the time to reply - much appreciated. The motherboard in my test PC is older than I thought (how time flies when you get older!) - it's an Intel DG33TL, and the original BIOS ID was DPP3510J.86A.0216.2007.0502.1916 - meaning it's around 2007 vintage. The CPU is an Intel Core2 Duo E4500 - pretty old, but still snappy running Linux. I tried upgrading the BIOS firmware to version 0572/2009. And then looking at the BIOS options (sorry, I didn't check before I upgraded) there is an option "UEFI boot" which was disabled. I enabled the option and tried another default FreeBSD install, but it still won't boot the GPT-partitioned disk. Now I come to think of it I have had trouble before with this motherboard when trying to clone disks. If I used a USB caddy for a SATA drive and formatted and partitioned the disk in it, then when I installed the drive in the machine (i.e. direct SATA connection) grub couldn't find any valid partitions ?? I've never had that problem with previous motherboards, or the Intel DH61CR I'm currently using in my main desktop PC. BTW, I did get FreeBSD running OK in the end with a manual MBR partitioning scheme. And I also gave PC-BSD-10 a try - that install worked first go, using an MBR-style partitioning scheme. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to listen, and Best Regards, Rob Diamond. On 21/11/14 03:08, Nathan Whitehorn wrote: > Such an option exists already: in the installer partition editor, > choose the disk you are installing on, press "Modify", choose MBR (or > GPT or a disklabel, or whatever you want), then partition as you like > or press "Auto". If this isn't in the handbook, it should be. > > What motherboard/BIOS is this, by the way? I'm trying to make a list > of systems with problems. Machines that can't boot from GPT are > usually EFI systems (which should work with the EFI media) and fail to > boot because they think GPT means EFI. Older pure-BIOS systems > shouldn't have problems -- you can boot 386s off of GPT without issue. > There are a couple of exceptions (some Compaq BIOSes, if I remember > right), but it would be nice to know what they are. > -Nathan > > On 11/20/14 02:03, Rob Diamond wrote: >> Hi Guys, >> >> I would like to suggest an option for an MBR install on the current >> 10.1 DVD installer image. Some background: >> >> I'm a refugee from the Linux systemd wars. >> >> I have been running Gentoo for 10-15 years, but finally got fed up >> with the problems of keeping my system up to date. If I left the >> system for a couple of months then any attempt to upgrade >> something/everything would block because of intertwined dependencies >> and the fast pace of updates to packages. So a few months ago, after >> trying various other Linux distros I installed Linux Mint. It's dead >> easy to install, sound, video, printers work pretty well out of the >> box. But I hate the complexity of everything, and the way it's >> starting to look like Windoze: >> >> - grub2, with its unreadable config file and convoluted set-up and >> update (Yeah, I know I could RTFM, but I don't want to waste a couple >> of hours working out how to change some settings when I'll forget in >> a couple of days). >> - the "quiet, splash" default boot option, with the mindless jiggling >> logo instead of being able to see what's going on. >> - the byzantine complexity of systemd (Yeah, I know I could RTFM, but >> I don't want to waste a couple of months working out how to change >> some settings when I'll forget in a couple of seconds). >> - etc, etc >> >> BTW I'm NOT a FreeBSD noob. I started off installing 386BSD on a >> PC-AT (if there's anyone here young enough to remember that !), and >> I've got the Walnut Creek CDROMs for FreeBSD 2.0 and 2.2 in my bottom >> drawer. >> >> However, I had a problem getting FreeBSD to install on my "test" PC. >> The motherboard is a few years old, and the BIOS has no clue about >> GPT partioning. I first tried the default install, but (and it takes >> a long time to boot and install off DVD) after rebooting my BIOS >> couldn't find an OS. I tried Googling for a clue, but as usual the >> problem is that there's way too much information out there and most >> of it is not current. So next I tried partitioning with gpart and >> setting up an MBR disk, but I kept getting complaints about the >> partition not being 4k aligned. So then I tried using the "Expert >> mode" patitioning, but I put a swap partition first, so.. no boot. >> Finally I found something that said to make sure "/" was the first >> partition, and (after re-booting and installing for the umpteenth >> time) I was in business. >> >> It would have been much easier if there was a default MBR partioning >> option, with a label saying something like "MBR partitioning for >> older hardware", which would give installers a clue, and which got >> the user going with the first (or second) install. >> >> We can't afford to put people off by making it difficult to get their >> first installation running - once you have a working system it's >> easier to learn about various aspects of the OS. But expecting >> inexperienced people with older hardware to be able to work out how >> to partition an MBR disk is unrealistic. They'll just give up and go >> back to something like Ubuntu. >> >> My 2 cents worth. >> >> Best Regards, >> >> Rob Diamond. >> _______________________________________________ >> freebsd-sysinstall@freebsd.org mailing list >> http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-sysinstall >> To unsubscribe, send any mail to >> "freebsd-sysinstall-unsubscribe@freebsd.org" >> > >
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