Date: Fri, 16 Dec 2005 19:39:29 -0500 (EST) From: Jerry McAllister <jerrymc@clunix.cl.msu.edu> To: martster@gmail.com (Marty Landman) Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: how to dual boot Message-ID: <200512170039.jBH0dTOK005583@clunix.cl.msu.edu> In-Reply-To: <70063950512161331u294280cdl8bd552be9426752c@mail.gmail.com>
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> > I'm trying to get a dual boot system set up with FBSD 5.3 and Win XP sp1. > First I installed FBSD using 15GB of the HD, then installed XP on the > remaining 5GB. However now it boots up XP automatically. I can get back to > the FBSD installer by booting from the 5.3 CD but what do I do to provide a > choice of which to boot right on the HD? You need to read the documentation better. It tells you that you should install Microsloth first and then FreeBSD. That is because MS doesn't play nicely and assumes it is the only thing in the world and overwrites your MBR without asking and their MBR will only boot MS (slightly different in recent MS, but essentially the same is true). But, FreeBSD is more sophisticated and also more friendly to the rest of the world and, first of all, asks if you want an MBR installed in the sector 0 and then if you go ahead and write FreeBSD's MBR, it will give you a choice of bootable slices to boot, including MS if present. The only odd thing is if the FreeBSD MBR detects a bootable slice with a filesystem type it does not know such as NTFS, it identifies it in the menu as '???' rather than with a name. It will still boot just fine. It does recognize FATxx filesystems, FreeBSD, of course and some others. But, it doesn't have room to store names for lots of others because it is a true MBR and only uses the one sector allocated rather than using some of the space that is typically (but not officially) not used in the first cylindar. Since you have already let MS wipe out the FreeBSD MBR, you can just put the install CD back in and tell it to write the FreeBSD MBR or even just reinstall FreeBSD from scratch, though that shouldn't actually be necessary. ////jerry > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org" > >
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