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Date:      Tue, 7 Nov 2006 07:59:22 -0500
From:      Bill Moran <wmoran@collaborativefusion.com>
To:        "Bob Schwartz" <bob@bschwartz.com>
Cc:        FreeBSD-questions@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Questions on first-time installation (Re: (no subject))
Message-ID:  <20061107075922.d7c44977.wmoran@collaborativefusion.com>
In-Reply-To: <000001c7021f$287ef880$0500a8c0@c1>
References:  <000001c7021f$287ef880$0500a8c0@c1>

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In response to "Bob Schwartz" <bob@bschwartz.com>:
> Hi,
>  
> First, I want to join the lists that you think are best for a highly
> knowledgable and experienced PC/Windows user who knows little about unix.
> Would you be so kind as to guide me, please?

You're on the right list, but it helps to use a subject line.

> The install moves flawlessly to fdisk, but I don't understand the screen
> print and options that the installation files offer when time to select
> where to install bsd.
>  
> this workstation has two intallations of XP and a windows boot manager for
> selecting them. Under no circumstances can we afford for this to be
> disturbed (at least until we can finally get rid of windows forever!<g>).

You should not install on that machine, then.  Its not uncommon for first
time users to hose other installations.  Based on your "under no
circumstances" statement, you need to ask yourself two questions:
1) Do I have a complete and reliable backup of my Windows stuff?
2) Can I afford the time to restore from backup if I do something wrong?

If the answer to either of those questions is "no" then you should do one
of two things:
1) Recruit a trusted friend who has done this before to help.
2) Don't use that machine for your first install.

> I've put in an adaptec 2940 and a 146 gig SCSI drive...and this is the drive
> I want to install bsd on and play with it to learn, but the installation
> process does not appear to tell me how to install on this drive only..and
> whether or not if I also install BSD's boot manager, I may disturb the one
> windows is offering already.

The BSD boot manager _will_ displace any other boot manager, although it
works just as well in every instance I've done it.

> The box drives are three 73 gig SAS' in a raid configuration. We also don't
> want to disturb this.
> 
> I've put in an adaptec 2940 and a 146 gig SCSI drive...and this is the drive
> I want to install bsd on and play with it to learn, but the installation
> process does not appear to tell me how to install on this drive only..and
> whether or not if I also install BSD's boot manager, I may disturb the one
> windows is offering already.
>
> How may I quickly get some help to understand the screen prints about the
> drives (they do not appear in the install function in any form resembling
> the numbers or sizes of drives this box actually has) and learn how to
> install this and get a boot option but without effecting the windows boot
> manager already there, please?

There's a lot of detail missing here.  Have you gone through the handbook
section on installation?
http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/install.html

If that doesn't help with your questions, you're going to have to provide
more information.  You say you have 3 - 73G drives and a 146G drive, but
you don't describe how they are laid out.  What kind of RAID?  What do
you think you should see, and what do you actually see?

-- 
Bill Moran
Collaborative Fusion Inc.



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