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Date:      Tue, 15 Jun 1999 09:26:49 -0500 (CDT)
From:      "M. L. Dodson" <bdodson@beowulf.utmb.edu>
To:        Clem.Dye@wdr.com
Cc:        markov@globalnet.co.uk, as_hombert@ibm.net, Questions@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   RE: Re: Booting FreeBSD with Win NT
Message-ID:  <199906151426.JAA33948@beowulf.utmb.edu>
In-Reply-To: <H000008201cf3c91@MHS>
References:  <H000008201cf3c91@MHS>

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I know this is a really big post, but I'm going to keep it all
because this post may get looked at during doc updates, etc.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, please.  It is my understanding
that /boot/boot0 _is_ the thing that gets put in the master boot
record of a FBSD disk when you tell it to do so during the
install, so it is the same as what you get with the dd procedure.
I haven't a clue as to what bootpart does, so have no comment on
it at all: it may very well be the magic wand that solves all
problems.  What I do know is that /boot/boot0 works fine as
bootsect.bsd (where that is the name referenced in boot.ini) when
FBSD resides on the _second_ disk.  I have not researched the
source code, but my understanding is that when it finds a
bootable fdisk partition (slice in FBSD parlance) with the FBSD
magic number (165, IIRC) on the first BIOS disk, it just boots it:
no muss, no fuss.  Putting all this together, I _speculate_ that
what you want is:

1. The NT master boot record on the first disk (put there during
   the NT install)
2. The NT boot program (I forget the name) in the DOS fdisk
   partition known as C: (This should eventually get executed by
   the bootchain starting with the MBR, if my understanding is
   correct.)  This is the least reliable point in my analysis,
   IMO.  In other words, I'm not sure how NT does its own boot. ;-)
3. A boot.ini composed of:
(1)	c:\		# to boot DOS
(2)	c:\bootsect.bsd # to boot FBSD (== /boot/boot0)
(3)	The NT incantation which references NT on the second disk, the
	one that looks similar to this, but references the second disk:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows NT Workstation Version 4.00"
(4)	The counterpart to (3) that does its thing with vga only

You should have installed 3.2 _without_ installing a FBSD MBR
(/boot/boot0 copied to c:\bootsect.bsd takes its place).

What say everyone?  (Specifically asking any 3-stage boot gurus
listening to stick their oars into the water.)

Bud Dodson

Clem.Dye@wdr.com writes:
 > OK, I think I get the picture, but I'm still a bit confused here. If 
 > I install 3.2 on the second partition on my first IDE disk (NT lives 
 > on the second drive), which method do I use to create a BOOTSECD.BSD 
 > file? Anne's approach of using BOOTPART sounds nice'n'easy, but I'm 
 > not clear if this will work with 3.2, given the changes to the boot 
 > process/boot files. Is DD still a reliable option in this instance, 
 > as a fall-back? Can I frig something during the install process via 
 > virtual terminal, for example?
 > 
 > Any advice here would be greatly appreciated!!!
 > 
 > 
 > Clem
 > 
 > -----Original Message-----
 > From: bdodson 
 > Sent: 14 June 1999 20:03
 > To: markov
 > Cc: bdodson; Dye, Clem; as.hombert; Questions
 > Subject: Re: Booting FreeBSD with Win NT
 > 
 > 
 > Mark Ovens writes:
 >  > On Mon, Jun 14, 1999 at 09:11:58AM -0500, M. L. Dodson wrote:
 >  > > 
 >  > > Wrongo.  This configuration works.  No repartitioning or other
 >  > > hocus-pocus required.  When you set up fbsd, install the default
 >  > > boot manager:
 >  > > 
 >  > > DOS and NT on IDE drive connected to motherboard (FAT and ntfs
 >  > > partitions).
 >  > > 
 >  > > FreeBSD-STABLE (just pre-3.2-RELEASE) on SCSI disk connected to
 >  > > motherboard Adaptec (2940W compat.)
 >  > > 
 >  > > c:\bootsect.bsd is /boot/boot0
 >  > > Just copy it over and rename it.
 >  > > 
 >  > 
 >  > The FAQ should be updated to reflect this. Under 2.2.x BOOTSECT.BSD
 >  > was simply the FreeBSD boot sector, created with dd(1), and hence
 >  > not executable. NT's boot loader was simply looking for the 
 > partition
 >  > described in BOOTSECT.BSD on the first disk.
 >  > 
 >  > Your solution should work with 3.1 yes? When I added a 2nd HD I
 >  > created a small partition on the first HD to allow me to use the
 >  > NT loader, seems I didn't have to.
 >  > 
 > 
 > I _think_ it works with 3.1, but I can't remember whether I tried
 > it.  I installed 3.1 and then almost immediately upgraded to
 > -STABLE with a "make world".  In any case, I would suggest people
 > go to 3.2R or a -STABLE snapshot, not 3.1.  The key point is that
 > this solution is totally dependent on the "new" 3-stage boot
 > loader.  In any case, when working with this range of versions,
 > be sure to keep /boot/loader and /kernel version-consistent or
 > you may get into a situation where your shiny new kernel can't be
 > booted by your dingy old /boot/loader.
 > 
 >  > > c:\boot.ini is:
 >  > > 
 >  > > C:\="MS-DOS"
 >  > > multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows NT 
 > Workstation Version 4.00"
 >  > > multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINNT="Windows NT 
 > Workstation Version 4.00 [VGA mode]" /basevideo /sos
 >  > > c:\bootsect.bsd="FreeBSD"
 >  > > 
 >  > > /boot/loader.rc is:
 >  > > 
 >  > > set root_disk_unit=0
 >  > > autoboot 10
 >  > > 
 > 
 > This may have to be:
 > 
 > set root_disk_unit=1
 > autoboot 10
 > 
 > for an all ide system.  My configuration is DOS/NT on IDE disk
 > (two primary fdisk partitions), FBSD on a SCSI second (and third
 > and fourth) disk.
 > 
 > Someone with a range of hardware should work out all these
 > nuances before the FAQ is updated, IMO.
 > 
 > [much elided]
 > -- 
 > M. L. Dodson                                bdodson@scms.utmb.edu
 > 409-772-2178                                FAX: 409-772-1790
 > 
 > 
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-- 
M. L. Dodson                                bdodson@scms.utmb.edu
409-772-2178                                FAX: 409-772-1790


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