Date: Sun, 7 Nov 1999 08:33:40 -0800 (PST) From: Andrew Sherrod <ixkatl@yahoo.com> To: FreeBSD Stable <freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: Re: easyboot far into disk Message-ID: <19991107163341.10700.rocketmail@web119.yahoomail.com>
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There IS a patch for the disk geometry problem. (Thus I have been repeatedly told it is NOT a REAL problem.) See bug reports i386/9431 and i386/10862. Both include my suggested patch to make wd.c recognize the correct geometry at installation. (Rather than requiring the DOS partition work-around or requiring the user to manually configure the disks after start-up.) (Oh, please ignore the one mistake blaming the problem on BIOS rather than disk controller. Otherwise, I stand behind everything written in the bug reports.) Andrew Sherrod --- Roelof Osinga <roelof@nisser.com> wrote: > Mike Smith wrote: > > > > > Nice, if the boot process can work with the CHS > driver. The problem > > > is that is not always the case. E.g. mine. So > you can't *get* up and > > > running. > > > > Ok. Would you care to share some details of your > problems, rather than > > just the bile and vitriol? > > It has been over on -questions. B.t.w. I fail to see > bile and/or vitriol > in stating that a problem occurres. You should've > seen the first draft, > written after a week of diligently trying, studying > manpages, discussing > over on -questions, reading relevant pages in Greg's > book, etc. > > > > SOL. You can copy the boot0cfg onto the fixit, > but what about the > > > > Build it static. > > We were, and are, talking newbies here. > > > "We" being whom, here? Most of us can just fine. > If your BIOS won't > > translate "right" past the 1024 cylinder mark then > you're in the > > minority these days. But even then, you can build > a new boot1/boot2 > > with packet-mode as default enabled and install > them on the floppy. The > > loader doesn't do packet mode yet simply because I > haven't found a case > > where it's been needed. > > Some others over on -questions. Would I have had a > case for you! In > case you're interested it's a Plato MB with a > Quantum EL 5.1A. Again, > I'm pretty much sure all this can be build and > installed. What I dare > to dispute, however, is the easy accessibility of > friendly instructions > outlining the process. For newbies. > > > That wouldn't have been nice; we tested it (I've > mentioned this > > publically before), and it kills quite a number of > machines dead. You > > wouldn't have been able to boot them at all. That > would have been bad. > > There you go, I mentioned the details publically > before. You seem to > have missed those, I seem to have missed your > mention. But I agree that > a larger number of machines dead is worse. > > > > - boot had the -o packet option > > > > I don't follow what you're suggesting here. > > Simple. boot0cfg clearly does something to > something. boot can be > interupted. Why not put the code that does something > to something into > boot so that on ancient machines that need it it can > be had without > going through the hoopla's needed to get it > currently. From a newbie's > perspective pressing space and entering "boot -o > packet" is way more > prerable than building a statically linked boot0cfg, > injecting that - > usually by magic incantation - into some diskette, > executing said > executable together with new cabalistic handweaving > only to end up > with something that could mayhap have been > incorporated in the > first place. > > > > - the install disks could be used to access ones > root disk > > > > They can. > > So people keep telling me. I spend over a week on it > an I tell you > they can't. Not in any sensible way, that is. > Compared to this, say, > Linux is pure bliss. You pop in the disk enter the > root and you're off. > Better yet, the process is described in the > installation README. Even > a newbie can do that, especially with some > handholding. > > > They have been, but ideally there shouldn't be any > magic required. > > Granted on the latter, but as to the former... what > does one need to > ritually slaughter in order to find those reputed > instructions? > > > > - people that yell RTFM would be automatically > throttled > > > > That's stupid. Documentation exists to save our > time and effort. If > > you're too lazy to read it, you've got it coming > to you. > > I don't know. It's a good way to cull population > growth. But you're > missing the point. What newbie would know what docs > to read in the > first place? Don't tell me boot0cfg is intuitively > named <g>. From a > newbie's perspective that wouldn't know a boot if it > reset him. E.g. > > nisser:/home/www/Slak$ man boot | grep packet > nisser:/home/www/Slak$ man loader | grep packet > nisser:/home/www/Slak$ man boot0cfg | grep packet > packet Use the disk packet (BIOS Int > 0x13 extensions) interface > `nopacket'. > Use of the `packet' option may cause `boot0' to > fail, depending on the > nisser:/home/www/Slak$ > > So you can, and I did, study man-pages till you > drop; but if you > somehow fail to miss the right one you're up the > creek without a paddle. > And then you come here only to read people saying > "oh, it's so easy, > all you need to do is read the man-pages" WHAT > manpage! or how about > "took me awhile but I figured it out, it's easy once > you know how". So > tell us the steps allready! > > Boot and loader are covered by some 31 manpages. > Most of which is and > alway will be absolutely irrelevant for the average > user, never mind > the newbie. BTW count is straightforward aporpos: > > nisser:/home/www/Slak$ echo `apropos boot | wc -l` " > + " `apropos loader | wc > -l` | bc > 31 > > > TFM still tells you to put the root filesystem > below 1024 cylinders. > > In most cases, you can get away with anything up > to 8GB, but we don't > > document that because of people like yourself. > > Yeah, yeah. Got a system running quite happily with > >10 GB. Thank you > very much. The problem here is that FreeBSD on this > particular box does > not do what Linux does, namely correctly detecting > the disk geometry. > > And therein, as they say, lies the rub. > > Completed, naturally, by being locked into the > installation process if > you go back to the install disks. Come hell or high > water, when you exit > it you reboot. If there is a way to install the root > in such a way that > it uses the correct disk geometry I have failed to > find it. In which I > am not alone, b.t.w. > > Mind you, these are just my findings. To with as you > please. I've already > come to the conclusion that it will be just a bit > more time efficient to > wipe that disk, install a small DOS partition and > reinstall the OS. Funny, > though, that FreeBSD needs DOS to run ;). > > Roelof > > -- > Home is where the (@) http://eboa.com/ is. > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-stable" in the body of the > message > ===== 'During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet.' - Al Gore, March 9, 1999: On CNN's Late Edition __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-stable" in the body of the message
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