"error mounting /dev/ad0S5 on /mnt : operation not permitted."

[dipique]

It all started when I found an iMac abandoned in a parking lot.

I took it home, and it booted up nicely into OS 9, but the OS was severely damaged wouldn't actually *do* much other than boot up and let me change options in vain.

So I figured I would reinstall OSX. Turns out it doesn't have a DVD reader. I put in an OS9 CD, but it wouldn't boot from it (alternating question mark and file symbol), so I thought I'd try repairing whatever damage there was with a FreeBSD CD.

My FreeBSD CD is the ONLY CD this computer will boot from. When I boot from it, I can set all the options for installation, and the first time it appeared to install just fine... but it didn't actually start up. I screwed up the partitions on the disc, and I figured that was probably the problem, but when I went to reinstall, now I can't make partitions. I get: "error mounting /dev/ad0S5 on /mnt : operation not permitted." And then the installation halts. I am using the default partition setup, nothing fancy.

My ultimate goal is to restore OS 9 to this machine, and it seems getting this install to complete is step 1. HELP PLEASE! How do I make this work?

Dan

[SirDice]

Looks like you are trying to install in an Extended DOS partition, ad0s5. Try removing any of the the existing partitions during install and create a new one.

[dipique]

When I try to press "D" for delete, it I receive the error message, "That option is not applicable here." It happens for each partition. I'm not familiar enough with this type of partition editor to really know what each of those entries mean... I'm posting a screen shot and hopefully that will help you guys troubleshoot more effectively.

Thanks, I appreciate the help!

Dan

[SirDice]

That's the disklabel editor. You need to remove the DOS/BIOS partitions (which are called slices in BSD) before that. It's the fdisk tool.

[dipique]

I'm very familiar with fdisk on pcs... how can I get to fdisc on a mac with the freebsd distro?

[SirDice]

If you follow the installation the fdisk will happen before the bsdlabel. Do note however that fbsd's fdisk looks a lot different from the old DOS one.

[dipique]

Is it run from the prompt before the OS installer loads? Or is it run from within the OS installer gui?

Dan

[SirDice]

It's run during the installer.

[dipique]

Is that while the installer is loading? Do I press a key to access it? I know I can press any key to get a prompt before the installer, but I couldn't find fdisk from that prompt.

Dan

[SirDice]

Just start the installation in sysinstall. The fdisk bit will come before the disklabel.

Read the excellent handbook: http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/install-steps.html

[dipique]

I don't have that version of FreeBSD. I'll download it and try it with fdisk.

Dan

[SirDice]

Every version uses the same sysinstall so it'll all be the same regardless.

[dipique]

I'm afraid that's incorrect.

According to the manual, "After choosing to begin a standard installation in sysinstall you will be shown this message" and shows the fdisk instructions. I do NOT receive that message.

Any ideas why?

Dan

[SirDice]

Odd.. Every version I've used since 3.1 had it.

[dipique]

I just downloaded a brand new CD from this site and burned it. It brings me to the disklabel editor, but NOT to any form of partitioning software.

HELP!

Dan

[dipique]

Tomorrow I'll take step-by-step pics of what it does. Maybe I'm just doing something stupid... wouldn't that be a relief.

Dan

[Psy-Q]

Even though this is reviving an old(ish) thread, I just wanted to say that I'm encountering the same issue on an iMac G4 with 7.2-RELEASE powerpc.

The disklabel editor comes up, but no partition editor ever appears. The partition editor option is also absent from the sysinstall menu. I first thought I was going insane, but then I found this thread, so it seems at least one other PPC G4 user seems to have the same issue?

[quux_corge]

Same problem with an iMac G3 and FreeBSD 8rc1

[jb_fvwm2]

*partially solving*?
(kldloaded geom_mbr.ko, geom_bsd.ko,
geom_label.ko) now the /dev/ad10 has
numerous entries. (figured how to use
fdisk:
fdisk -f file.fil -v -u /dev/da10
where file.fil:
...
p 3 165 * 150G
...
(without the dots), just a line,
would fdisk the 3rd partition (space after the
first two) to 150G. The 3 kldloads' enabled
mounting the first partition (fat32).
EDIT.
Learned the /dev/ad10s2 /dev/ad10s3 /dev/ad10s4
(latter two created by fdisk just then) are
usable after
bsdlabel -w ......
and newfs...... would've known earlier but
the many entries for ad10 are confusing.

[quux_corge]

see here:
http://forums.freebsd.org/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=7845

how I installed freebsd on an iMac