Date: Mon, 11 Dec 2000 03:03:52 +0100 (CET) From: Janko van Roosmalen <acs.van.roosmalen@hccnet.nl> To: stanb@panix.com Cc: Free BSD Questions list <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org> Subject: Re: Help _PLEASE_ 3rdrequest frustration == MAX Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.4.10.10012110219190.940-100000@parmenides.utp.net> In-Reply-To: <200012101418.JAA18924@panix6.panix.com>
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Which FreeBSD version are you installing? How is the BIOS detecting the hard disk ( nr of cylinders, heads, sectors)? How does the FreeBSD kernel detect the hard disk? Press the scroll-lock key when in the first screen of the installation menu, and use the arrow-up key to see the boot messages. Press scroll-lock key again to return to the installation screen. What does the FreeBSD "fdisk" during the installation say about the geometry of the disk? You can correct this by using the G option of fdisk. My experience with a 486-120 and a 13GB disk is to select NORMAL translation mode. This means the BIOS sees your disk as +- 504 MB. This normally allows the BIOS to boot the machine into FreeBSD. FreeBSD does not depend on the BIOS to read/write the disk, it will just ignore the "wrong" 504 MB setting. BTW I am using FreeBSD 3.2. ===Janko van Roosmalen - Vught - Netherlands=== On Sun, 10 Dec 2000 stanb@panix.com wrote: > > > I am setting up 4 recycled HP Vectras for use at work. Sure is nice m$ > keeps providing me with free computers, as they get more and more > resource hungr :-) > > 3 of them are P75's, and 1 is a P90 The P75'a have BIOS'es > D.08.01,D.06.03, and D.08.03. I am isntalling brand new Quantam 20G IDE > drives as the only thing on the IDE busses (No CD's). > > When I look in Setup on all the P75's, I see that they are detecting > the disks as 8468MB 16383/63/16 preload -116382 Ther is an XL flag > which is on on some, and off on oters. > > All these machines boot fine after I do an install (from the hard > disks). The P90 however I have been unable to get to boot after > repeated installs :-( > > It Has BIOS version GT.07.02. The setup screen here has many more > options related to hard disk. First It wan'ts to know if I want to use > "Standard" or,"Extended" transfer methi\od. Rhere is a note that > "Standard" might need to be used on "UNIX" systems, I think this might > mean SCO. This option is gloabal to all the IDE controlers/disks on the > machine. > > On a per disk bassis, the choces are: > > Multi Sector Transfers: disable/2/4/8/16 > LBA mode control enabled/disabled > 32 bit I/O Enabled/Disbaled > Transfer mode standard/Fast Pio 1,2,3, or 4 > > Considering it takes about 30 to 45 minutes to do a minimal install to > test each choice, and that there are a lareg number of choices :-( I > could be here a while (days ?). > > Can some kkind soul that understands the hardware issues here, pleas > educate me? > > Thanks! > > At this point in time, i have also tyried the following additional > things. > > 1. Tried to install on a 4G drive in this machine. > > 2. Tries a 20G from one of the P75's in tis machien. > > Neither of them worked. > > The 4G drive when I first put it in, booted NT (don't ask what taht was > doing on the drive :)), so I know the machien is OK. > > I feel relativley certain that if I cna get in touch with some kind > soul thatactually understands the boot process, this can be made to > work. > > Please someone make some sugeations. My frustration level is quite high > at the moment! > > -- > Stan Brown stanb@panix.com 843-745-3154 > Charleston SC > -- To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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