Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 09:19:17 -0800 (PST) From: Bora Akyol <bora@wireless.stanford.edu> To: Michael Smith <msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au> Cc: msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au, questions@FreeBSD.org, hackers@FreeBSD.org Subject: Boot Loader when both IDE and SCSI present. How to Install? V.2 Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.3.91.960102090934.199B-100000@lightning> In-Reply-To: <199601020618.QAA03783@genesis.atrad.adelaide.edu.au>
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On Tue, 2 Jan 1996, Michael Smith wrote: > Bora Akyol stands accused of saying: > > I already solved this problem. I first installed OS-BS beta version from > > the CDROM and then hard wired the SCSI drive to be sd2 on the kernel, > > modified the fstab and everything is fine. > > Not sure I follow, but hey, that's nothing new 8) > > > Not a big problem, but in my opinion, LINUX booting process is ten times > > better. > > Care to tell us about how it works? We're always happy to improve... OK, Here is how the Linux boot loader works (I did not write so I am giving you only a functional description, you can check out the details at www.linux.org under Howto section under LILO. Linux uses a boot loader called LILO. LILO may use the MBR. It uses a file callled /etc/lilo.conf. In this file you specify which image to boot from where and it also uses a map of the disk drives. You run lilo, it installs the boot loader then you are ready to go. In FREEBSD , as far as I know there is no easy way to install a boot loader from FreeBSD itself, or at least I could not find it. Moreover the Booteasy program is not exactly configurable and it can not boot from a SCSI disk when IDE is present. Now I found this program called os-bs on the Walnut Creek CDROM and that was able to boot from a SCSI disk provided that the SCSI disk is visble from DOS at the initial installation. The only bummer with this set up was the fact that the bootstrap code kept on referring to the scsi drive as sd(2,a) which was clearly wrong. It should have been hd(2,a) the third hard drive or sd(0,a). IN either case to go around this I hard wired the scsi drive to be sd2 on the kernel configuration file, re compiled the kernel and there we go. Another thing that is missing from the FreeBSd project is the lack of documentation. I would be tempted to start a set of HOWTO's just like the Linux project. Maybe that will help the users. The FAQ and the Handbook are kind of weak for specific information although they do provide a great overview. Well this it. Bora
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