[Solved] BSDinstall question

hitest · #1 October 8th, 2011, 21:52

I've done a preliminary search for this on google and here on this forum. I would like to set-up a dual boot between Slackware and FreeBSD 9.0. I've successfully done this several times before with earlier versions of FreeBSD. With sysinstall in FreeBSD 8.x it allows you to opt out of installing the FreeBSD boot loader which is what I would like to do with FreeBSD 9.0. I want LILO to boot-up FreeBSD which I will set-up in lilo.conf on my Slackware partition.
Does the BSDinstaller have the option of allowing me opt out of installing the FreeBSD boot loader?
Thank you in advance for any and all replies.

Edit: added later. I've decided to opt for a full install of FreeBSD 9.0.

da1 · #2 October 12th, 2011, 18:05

To answer your question: no. And from my point, this is a setback.

**wblock@** · #3 October 12th, 2011, 18:46

There may actually be a way to do it through the bsdinstall partition editor, but I don't know. The "shell" option for partitioning would allow using fdisk(8), bsdlabel(8), and boot0cfg(8) manually.

da1 · #4 October 12th, 2011, 18:50

And what's the point of having a new a shinny thing while you need to manually do stuff that were so nicely done in the past by an older and worst installer than the current.
I think the whole idea is to have something better, and not something better only for someone or some things.

**wblock@** · #5 October 12th, 2011, 19:04

sysinstall(8), despite ongoing maintenance, was broken in several ways. One particular bug was that when told not to mess with the MBR, it still sometimes did. bsdinstall is still in its infancy. As such, it's a good time to request features.

Two things to note:

* bsdinstall isn't meant to be a feature-for-feature replacement for sysinstall.
* sysinstall is still on the 9.0-BETA images, and I suspect it will still run if you select "Shell" when booting.

hitest · #6 October 13th, 2011, 15:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by wblock@

sysinstall(8), despite ongoing maintenance, was broken in several ways. One particular bug was that when told not to mess with the MBR, it still sometimes did. bsdinstall is still in its infancy. As such, it's a good time to request features.

Two things to note:

* bsdinstall isn't meant to be a feature-for-feature replacement for sysinstall.
* sysinstall is still on the 9.0-BETA images, and I suspect it will still run if you select "Shell" when booting.

Thanks for the replies! I have not as of yet attempted to invoke sysinstall in FreeBSD Beta 3 as I did a full install. I previously had good luck with sysinstall in that when I directed it to leave the MBR untouched...it did for me(thanks for the information regarding the MBR bug).
It looks like FreeBSD 9.0 will soon be released. If sysinstall is absent I will explore manual options for setting up a dual boot. I suspect it is too late to request that sysinstall still be included as an optional installer choice? That is, BSDinstall could be the default, and you could have dropping to a shell and sysinstall. If that is not possible then perhaps an addition to the handbook detailing how to leave the MBR untouched using fdisk and a shell prompt?
I know for most FreeBSD users this will not be an issue, but, there are Linux users out there like me who also run FreeBSD.
Thank you.

George

**wblock@** · #7 October 13th, 2011, 15:55

I really doubt sysinstall would be offered as an alternate installer. Right now, it's vestigial. So concentrate on discovering how to do things with bsdinstall, or getting features added.

GPT complicates the multi-boot thing. I'm pretty sure boot0 can't handle it at all. So it's not just a lack of the feature in bsdinstall, but also new technology (GPT) obsoleting old stuff.

hitest · #8 October 13th, 2011, 16:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by wblock@

I really doubt sysinstall would be offered as an alternate installer. Right now, it's vestigial. So concentrate on discovering how to do things with bsdinstall, or getting features added.

GPT complicates the multi-boot thing. I'm pretty sure boot0 can't handle it at all. So it's not just a lack of the feature in bsdinstall, but also new technology (GPT) obsoleting old stuff.

Thank you wblock@,

I appreciate your insights!

slackhead · #9 October 13th, 2011, 19:04

I take it (re)installing lilo after installing FreeBSD would work, or not?

**wblock@** · #10 October 13th, 2011, 21:14

It would depend on how the disk is set up. If LILO can handle GPT, or if the FreeBSD install uses MBR, probably.

pkubaj · #11 October 13th, 2011, 22:25

If one can't choose with bsdinstall to leave MBR untouched, then FreeBSD is (at least in one aspect) just like Windows.

**wblock@** · #12 October 13th, 2011, 23:26

Now, now, let's not say things we'll regret later. bsdinstall approaches partitioning in three ways. There's auto, which sets up a GPT partition scheme on a whole disk, or tries to create additional partitions in unused space on the drive. There's manual, which lets you set up whatever you want, including not just MBR but also APM and VTOC8, among others. And there's the shell, where you can do anything you like with any programs.

There's a new chapter on bsdinstall in the Handbook. It's not really polished yet, but we've been working hard on it.

Installing VirtualBox and booting one of the later FreeBSD-9 beta or RC images is an easy way to try it, also. Remember that FreeBSD is yours, too, and problem reports and suggestions help to improve it not just for you but for everyone.

hitest · #13 October 14th, 2011, 04:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by wblock@

There's a new chapter on bsdinstall in the Handbook. It's not really polished yet, but we've been working hard on it.

Yes. I've read that chapter, it is very good. Thanks for the link! I know you guys are extremely busy as the new release approaches, but, it would be very helpful if an addition or a hint could be put into the new handbook detailing how to go about setting up a dual boot between other OSs and FreeBSD 9.0.
I am happily running FreeBSD 9.0 beta three. I would like to run a dual boot again. Thank you for responding to my queries!

**wblock@** · #14 October 14th, 2011, 06:23

I'll think about a dual-boot section. The short version would be

1. Install other OS and a multi-boot loader like grub, leave unpartitioned space on the drive.
2. Install FreeBSD in unpartitioned space.

hitest · #15 October 14th, 2011, 12:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by wblock@

I'll think about a dual-boot section. The short version would be

1. Install other OS and a multi-boot loader like grub, leave unpartitioned space on the drive.
2. Install FreeBSD in unpartitioned space.

Thank you, wblock@! I appreciate that a lot.

slackhead · #16 October 14th, 2011, 14:04

Ok I think I've got it working. First I tried installing grub2 from slackware but that failed miserably. So then I tried from inside FreeBSD using this guide:

http://www.isysop.com/installing-gru...pt-partitions/

Now the patches mentioned there are already active in the grub2 port so you can ignore those and concentrate on editing /usr/local/etc/grub.d/40_custom and running grub-mkconfig.

For some reason it wasn't working and spat out errors such as 'no such partition' or 'UUID doesn't exist' (when I tried using UUID).

To try to find why UUID wasn't working I installed sysutils/e2fsprogs so I could have a look at blkid.

Anyway for whatever reason it started working with just partition numbers after that so I'm wonder if one of those tools helped.

So this is my /usr/local/etc/grub.d/40_custom with entry for FreeBSD boot loader and slackware:

Code:

#!/bin/sh                                                                       
  exec tail -n +3 $0                                                              
  # This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries.  Simply type the   
  # menu entries you want to add after this comment.  Be careful not to change    
  # the 'exec tail' line above.                                                   
  menuentry "FreeBSD /boot/loader" --class freebsd --class bsd --class os {       
          insmod ufs2                                                             
          set root='(hd0,2)'                                                      
          search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set 4e926d83ecd1db78                     
          kfreebsd                /boot/loader                                    
  }                                                                               
                                                                                  
  menuentry 'Slackware' --class slackware --class gnu-linux --class os {          
      insmod gzio                                                                 
      insmod part_msdos                                                           
      insmod ext2                                                                 
      set root='(hd1,2)'                                                          
      linux   /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/sdb2 ro                                     
  }

This will give 3 menu choices of plain FreeBSD, FreeBSD /boot/loader and Slackware.

slackhead · #17 October 14th, 2011, 17:12

Just a note about what I did from that howto:

Code:

# grub-install --modules=part_gpt /dev/ad0

edit /usr/local/etc/grub.d/40_custom

Code:

# grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

grub-mkconfig will pick up FreeBSD automatically.
/usr/local/etc/grub.d/40_custom will contain the extra OS's and FreeBSD boot loader if req'd

hitest · #18 October 22nd, 2011, 15:56

I was wondering if an addition will be included in the Handbook on how to set-up a dual boot with Linux or other OSs when FreeBSD 9.0 is released? I very-much appreciate slackhead's contribution in this area.
I am not trying to rush the process, I am just curious(I will wait). FreeBSD 9.0 beta 3 functions perfectly for me as a stand alone OS. I would like to be able to dual boot Linux/FreeBSD again.
Thank you for your support!

**wblock@** · #19 October 22nd, 2011, 17:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by hitest

I was wondering if an addition will be included in the Handbook on how to set-up a dual boot with Linux or other OSs when FreeBSD 9.0 is released?

Probably not by me, but others could be working on it. A separate article on multi-booting might be more appropriate.

hitest · #20 October 22nd, 2011, 17:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by wblock@

Probably not by me, but others could be working on it. A separate article on multi-booting might be more appropriate.

That sounds good to me! Thank you, wblock@.

slackhead · #21 October 24th, 2011, 19:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by slackhead

Code:

# grub-install --modules=part_gpt /dev/ad0

This should have said /dev/ada.

slackhead · #22 October 25th, 2011, 10:22

Sorry I was correct the first time, it is ad0.

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The Following User Says Thank You to wblock@ For This Useful Post:
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