Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1998 09:47:45 +0100 From: Karl Pielorz <kpielorz@tdx.co.uk> To: Mike Smith <mike@smith.net.au> Cc: junkmale@xtra.co.nz, freebsd-hardware@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: large drives, old BIOS, IDE Controllers Message-ID: <35D54B31.DB594CB0@tdx.co.uk> References: <199808141833.SAA02264@dingo.cdrom.com>
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Mike Smith wrote: > > > The "problem" is my machine is a 486/dx2 something. I'm installed a 5G > > drive. The shop figured I might not be able to use this drive as the BIOS > > won't handle more than the first 512M of the drive. Yet, what I've just > > read in the mail archives is that FreeBSD doesn't use the BIOS. If so, my > > job is easy. > > It needs the BIOS to boot. As long as you can get at the FreeBSD root > filesystem, you'll be OK. > > > At present, the machine has a CD-ROM and a 330M drive. Both are IDE and > > are running off the I/O board. I'm about to add a 5G drive. Problem: > > there's only 1 IDE connecter on my i/o board and none on the mother board. > > And I can't buy an i/board with two IDE connecters. None are available > > to be had. > > You'll have to find one. Try a secondhand (junk) store; there are lots > of them still around. Hi, We've seen a problem with a very old machine before, and a large drive. Apparently it had something to do with the number of bits the IDE controller supported (I seem to remember it only supported 22 bits, rather than 24 bits - this was a while ago!) - after some checking this turned out to be a hardware problem, and we couldn't use the onboard controller... Having said that we did buy a plug in controller and get that working - Maybe the extra controller will be the best bet... If you get really stuck (and don't mind paying carriage) let me know, as I've got some ISA / VESA-VL ones round here somewhere ;-) Regards, Karl To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-hardware" in the body of the message
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