Date: Tue, 18 Feb 1997 12:09:30 -0800 (PST) From: Doug White <dwhite@gdi.uoregon.edu> To: johnson@charming.nrtc.northrop.com Cc: questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: questions regarding FreeBSD on a notebook Message-ID: <Pine.BSI.3.94.970218120636.8641E-100000@localhost> In-Reply-To: <9702171942.AA00864@charming.nrtc.northrop.com>
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On Mon, 17 Feb 1997 johnson@charming.nrtc.northrop.com wrote: > I just got a Compaq Armada 1125 notebook computer with Windows 95 installed > on it, and would like to put FreeBSD on it also. (I'd like to be able to > boot up either Win95 or FreeBSD, selectable at boot time.) (I've been > using FreeBSD for the last few years on another home machine, and think > it is FANSTASTIC.) > > Here's my question: is it possible to install FreeBSD on the Compaq > without having to wipe the disk and re-install Win95? The same as you did for your desktop. > Here's one idea: resize the Win95 partition to make it smaller, and then > put a FreeBSD partition on the disk. That is the way. > > Another (crazier) idea: insall FreeBSD in such a way that the MS-DOS > file system on drive C is the root file system for FreeBSD. Something > I read in passing in one of the /usr/share/doc files seemed to imply that > this was possible. Um, no. FreeBSD does not support this. > Question #1: Just in case disaster strikes, I would like to be able to > re-install Win95 from scratch. Seemingly randomly (phase of the moon no > doubt), every once in a while when I boot the Compaq I get a Win95 utility > that offers to help me create a set of backup floppy disks that can be > used to re-install Win95. It offers to let you back up two separate sets > of system files. I used it to back up Win95 (it took 31 floppies!), and > would like to back up the other set of system files as well using this > mystical utility. So, the question: > > How do I invoke this `Create System Intallation Floppies' utility??? > (One way is to just keep rebooting the machine until that utility magically > decides to present itself again :-( ). This just makes a Win95 boot floppy. You should have gotten a copy of the Win95 installers; if not, call Compaq and tell them they're breaking the law. > 1) Use a disk re-partitioning package. I found two to choose from at CompUSA: > Partition-It from Quarterdeck, and Partition Magic from someone else. > Shrink the Win95 partition using said utility. Partition Magic all the way. > 2) Use the `Custom' FreeBSD installation option, and put a FreeBSD partition > out there. > > 3) Proceed with the FreeBSD installation. > > Question #2: Does the above approach have a chance of working?? Absolutely. > Question #3: Is there reliable freeware that will take a MicroSoft > partition and make it smaller? Or do I have to try to use one of these > flaky and expensive commercial packages? FIPS. It does it the bad way (not adjust sector size) but it does work. > Question #4: Does the second approach, using an MS-DOS partition that > already has Win95, have a prayer? (I sorta hate the second approach based > on experience with /dos partitions on my current FreeBSD machine. Weird > constraints on file names, weird stuff with protections, etc. Win95 > seems to do better with file names than DOS. Is it possible to use the > Win95 file system under FreeBSD rather than the DOS file system? Does that > question even make any sense? ;-) ) Hundreds of people split their Win95 partitions and install FreeBSD on them every day. It's no different for a laptop :) Doug White | University of Oregon Internet: dwhite@resnet.uoregon.edu | Residence Networking Assistant http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~dwhite | Computer Science Major
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