Date: Sat, 19 Mar 2005 06:07:16 -0500 From: "Mark A-J. Raught (from the laptop)" <mraught@acm.org> To: Jason Reynolds <jasondr1879@yahoo.com> Cc: freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org Subject: Re: IBM A20m Message-ID: <423C07E4.4090908@acm.org> In-Reply-To: <20050319142449.42933.qmail@web54103.mail.yahoo.com> References: <20050319142449.42933.qmail@web54103.mail.yahoo.com>
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Jason Reynolds wrote: > To Whom It May Concern: > > For the love of God - PLEASE help me I'm going completely INSANE! > I have installed FreeBSD ver.5.3 (using FTP, I downloaded i386-bootONLY.iso, and i386-ver5.3.iso) onto my IBM A20m laptop. After using the boot CD, I installed FreeBSD using the Wizard-like interface, I included ALL of the available options (this may have sealed my fate). Anywhoo, everything appeared to be going fine, no errors, no warnings, then I came to reboot to complete the installation, I get the IBM screen (the one that tells you what BIOS version you have and what it is loading) this is what it says: > > IBM ThinkPad BIOS 4.0 Release 6.0.U > Copyright 1985-1999 Phoenix Technologies Ltd. > All Rights Reserved > 640K System RAM Passed > 127M Extended RAM Passed > 256K Cache SRAM Passed > System BIOS shadowed > Video BIOS shadowed > UMB upper limit segment address: I3P9 > Mouse initalized > Fixed Disk 0: HITACHI_ > ATAPI CD-ROM: CD-2243 > > Press <F1> to enter SETUP > Press <F12> to choose temporary boot device > > and thats it, after this screen it flashes a little, and goes blank. I have tried every function key, combined with every other key (FUNCT key, Alt key, Ctrl key, Backspace) you name it. I cannot enter setup, or view anything. I even tried using a desktop monitor, removed the hard drive and attempted to attach it to one of my desktop drive bays, it wouldn't fit using any of my existing CD, CD/RW and floppy plug-ins, although it did look like the pin patterns were the same, I didn't want to force anything. I looked all over the web, there seems to be a very serious compatibility issue with the A20m, as described here: > > > A bug in early revisions of IBM’s BIOS on these machines mistakenly identifies the FreeBSD partition as a potential > > FAT suspend-to-disk partition. When the BIOS tries to parse the FreeBSD partition it hangs. > > I downloaded this http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/docum ent.do?lndocid=MIGR-4JWNTQ driver and followed the instructions, the screen is still blank, but I can hear the floppy drive working. So before I spend $$ on a new motherboard, or a "parts" laptop, can you think of another solution for me. I just wanted to try out FreeBSD. Show me some love. > > Jason > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-mobile@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-mobile > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-mobile-unsubscribe@freebsd.org" > I could be wrong, (not sure about specific A20 problems) but it sounds like you need to make the drive bootable. You can redo the install and make sure on the fdisk setup screen you hit (I think) s, the option to make the partition active, and then make sure on the later screen that asks about bootblock, make sure the install add the bootblock. I am going from memory here, there are three options: one is to do nothing, the next is to install the bootblock (I think that's what it is called) and the third is to install a boot manager. The one you want is the boot block one. There may be an easier way to do this, but since it is a new install, this may be the quickest. As for putting the drive in a desktop machine: you need a converter. they are available at most computer shops for $5 to $15. The difference is that laptop drives get power through the cable and desktop drives have a separate power connector. Just make sure you are careful to get the cable set to pin one correctly or you can possibly fry the drive. Everything is usually well marked. If this info doesn't help, send another email and I'll setup a test machine to get definite screen names and options for the above bootblock selections, but you should be able to figure out the right selections from the (rather vague) ideas in the first paragraph. -mark
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