Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1998 18:24:10 +0200 (CEST) From: Andre Albsmeier <andre.albsmeier@mchp.siemens.de> To: rpj@fep.hirshfields.com (Roger P. Johnson) Cc: andre.albsmeier@mchp.siemens.de, questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: "Read error" on bootup....... Message-ID: <199803301624.SAA00972@intern> In-Reply-To: <199803301523.JAA23020@fep.hirshfields.com> from "Roger P. Johnson" at "Mar 30, 98 09:23:33 am"
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> Heh. You're not the only one with this problem. After 6 months of battling > this problem off and on, here's what I have found as your only solution. > > I have to assume you are trying to dedicate the whole drive to FBSD like > I was. > > It has something to do with the BIOS (and/drive ?). The only way to get your > "beast" to boot up naturally, is to install a DOS partition on your drive. > Do this so when you get into the FBSD fdisk editor, you can record the > geometry reported. This is the geometry to use for your disk. While in the > fdisk partion editor, zap that DOS partion outta there, and say you want > the whole disk used for FBSD, remaining cooperative with other OS's. If you > choose to dedicate the whole drive to FBSD w/o being cooperative, you will > get the "Read error" message again. > > If you don't have a DOS disk, try this for the geometry: Mbtyes/64/32. > ie. 1010/64/32 for a 1.1 GB disk; even though the FAQ recommended > that I use 128/63/255. fdisk didn't like this! It was recommending > that I use 128/255/63, and I'd still get "Read error". Ugh. > > I say it is a BIOS/HD problem because given the EXACT same machine, > controller, RAM etc, if I install a 1GB SCSI HD I get the "Read error". > If I put a 2GB SCSI HD in, I can dedicate the whole drive to FBSD and > get this -- IT WORKS! Go figure. > > Good Luck, ya gotta have the standard fdisk setup in this case :( Yes, that matches my experience. It is also described in the FAQ: http://www.freebsd.org/FAQ/FAQ103.html#103 Since Siemens always used to build strange computers (Phoenix BIOS :-() I assume this is the reason. Did you send your explanation to the other guy (who originally had the problem), too? -Andre > > Roger > > > > Greetings............ > > > > > > I've just installed FreeBSD 3.0 on a machine with 2 Pro's and 256 MB > > > ram, on a SCSI disk. When attemping to boot, I simply receive the > > > following error: > > > > > > Read error > > > > > > That's it. If I put the 3.0 boot floppy into the drive, I can send the > > > boot options to be: > > > > > > 0:sd(0,a)kernel > > > > > > And all is well, I can boot up with no problems. However, I'd like to > > > be able to boot off the harddisk (The partiton is active) without any > > > user intervention. Could anyone tell me why this is happening, and > > > possibly on how to fix it? > > > > I had this on a Siemens machine (Phoenix BIOS). When installing 2.2.5 > > in the "not dangerously dedicated mode (or how is it called)" the > > problem went away. All other (non Siemens machines) machines work great. > > > > -Andre To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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