Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2003 13:01:25 -0400 From: "Jud" <judmarc@fastmail.fm> To: "Adam King" <aking@lgh.com.au>, "freebsd-questions" <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: Multi-OS Boot Question Message-ID: <20030716170125.721A972234@smtp.us2.messagingengine.com> In-Reply-To: <00b901c34b48$5f6ad030$7c01a8c0@pc124> References: <00b901c34b48$5f6ad030$7c01a8c0@pc124>
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On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 13:14:30 +1000, "Adam King" <aking@lgh.com.au> said: > Sorry, here's a better link: > http://www.informit.com/content/index.asp?product_id=%7B7309E848-0A1E-475A-A1CD-17B5462B1564%7D&062903 > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Adam King > To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org > Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 1:05 PM > Subject: Fw: Multi-OS Boot Question > > This was in the 5.1 sysinstall notes. It is also mentioned on this site > (http://www.informit.com/isapi/product_id~{7309E848-0A1E-475A-A1CD-17B5462B1564}/element_id~{C8915938-27E4-4BF5-B449-CD40F6C9D8B5}/st~{FC01C6FA-A166-40A9-BEFF-FA0234A128E9}/session_id~{D7D91592-81FC-47F8-BC69-313B51CAD0D0}/content/articlex.asp)that > was linked from freebsd.org. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Jud > To: Adam King > Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2003 11:10 AM > Subject: Re: Multi-OS Boot Question > > > On Wed, 16 Jul 2003 08:49:30 +1000, "Adam King" <aking@lgh.com.au> > said: > > I currently have a dual boot Windows/Linux system and want to add another > > partition and install FreeBSD. > > > > In the FreeBSD install, it mentions that the boot files must be within > > the first 1024 Cylinders. Is this a requirement for FreeBSD itself or > > just for the FreeBSD boot loader? > > What FreeBSD install did you find this in? Installation below the > 1024th > cylinder is not a requirement for either FreeBSD itself or for its > boot > loader. (By "FreeBSD itself" I assume you mean the entire filesystem > or > some sizable subset of it.) The 1024 cylinder limit is rarely > encountered these days because it is a consequence of an old BIOS > that > doesn't use geometry translation. (Geometry translation is usually > associated with LBA (logical block addressing).) > > > If I use a linux boot loader (LILO or Grub) which doesn't have a problem > > with the 1024 cylinder limit, will it be able to boot FreeBSD if it's > > boot files are above cylinder 1024? > > Use any boot loader you like. Should work fine. The FreeBSD system > I'm > using right now is installed on the second half of an 80GB RAID0 > array. > > Jud Yes, you're quite right about the statement from Tiemann-Urban (whom I'd have expected to know better - glad I bought The Complete FreeBSD by Greg Lehey rather than their book!) and I presume also about the sysinstall documentation. I found an additional case of the same in section 3.19 of the FAQ on FreeBSD's web site. However, look at the following from section 3.19 of the FAQ: "Note that this is a limitation in the PC's BIOS, not FreeBSD." The statement is simply (far) out of date: "modern" BIOSes haven't had the 1024 cylinder limit for years. I personally haven't had a system with FreeBSD installed *below* the 1024 cylinder limit for something like a couple of years. (Before my current RAID array, it was installed on the 2nd half of a 40GB drive; before that, on the second half of a 20GB drive.) So - install as you like, no worries. Any problems, write back and tell me I'm an idiot. ;) Jud P.S. Please post below rather than on top of the message you're replying to - helps readability, especially in long threads.
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