Dual Boot with Ubuntu

BJsMan

BJsMan

I have a system which I just set up with Ubuntu 11.04, with a 320 GB drive. I left an unallocated slice (115 GB) during the install process, on which I would like to load FreeBSD 8.2. I don't know what application the Ubuntu install script used -- it doesn't look like fdisk, it is a GUI application. I set up the slice, but told Linux not to use it.

Now, when I go into the FreeBSD install, and I look at the partition table with fdisk, I can't recognize the slices, so that I can be confident of where to create a slice for FreeBSD. I want to install it in the unused 115 GB slice, and set up GRUB for a dual boot, but I am nervous about wrecking my Linux installation, and overwriting it accidentally.

Any advice on how to proceed?
 
Screenshot of Ubuntu Disk utility:

Disk_Utility.jpg
 
/dev/sda3, as I remember, is the third slice of an MBR-partitioned disk.

While you could install FreeBSD there, getting it to boot with GRUB is, from what I have read, a bit of magic.

Personally, if you want to "try" FreeBSD, I'd install VirtualBox or the like, format that free space so that Ubuntu can see it, and install inside VirtualBox.
 
VirtualBox

Jeff,

Yes, I decided to try to install it in a VM, using VirtualBox, but I could not get the CD to begin the installation. After reading a bit on the web, I decided to switch gears and try to use qemu as the Virtual Machine. It will take some studying to get it to load, but the general consensus I found is that qemu is more friendly to FreeBSD than VirtualBox is.

Thanks for the suggestion. I am only dabbling, so I haven't been focused solely on this project. When I do get it to work, hopefully in the next couple of days, I will update the pst with what worked and how, and what didn't.

-Daniel
 
Hmmm, if you've got something working, it's hard to argue with success, but I have had good luck with VirtualBox on Ubuntu.

Under VirtualBox on an A8-3870 with 64-bit, single CPU provided to the VM, I can buildworld in about two hours, which is a lot faster than the three hours it takes on my Atom 330 (both with 5400-rpm notebook drives). With 8 GB of host memory, virtualization lets me run three at the same time and continue to use the host OS as a desktop.

Right now I'm running 64-bit Ubuntu 12.04 (desktop) with up-to-date packages. VirtualBox is 4.1.12-dfsg-2.

My approach has been to enable virtualization in the host's BIOS (perhaps not absolutely essential unless you want 64-bit), then set up hosts in VirtualBox.

I typically set:
  • BSD / FreeBSD(64bit) for the OS type
  • 1-2 GB of memory (lets me run a few of them at the same time)
  • 100-GB "growable" disk (in the default format)
  • Change the host controller from PIIX3 (pretty ancient, c. 2000) to ICH9 (c. 2007)
  • Disable the floppy (yes, I'm old enough to have done the floppy install for FreeBSD, but...)
  • Virtual CD to be the file of the install ISO image on the host

It has "always" just started up the installer for me and in a couple minutes it is ready to reboot. Pull the ISO image from the virtual CD before rebooting.

The default video memory seems fine, though I haven't tried running anything but the console using it.

The "additions" you can download from the VirtualBox website will let you use USB 2.0; without it you can use USB 1.0.
 
Trying again

Hi Jef,

OK, I have set up the VM, and am trying to boot to the install CD for FreeBSD 8.2, but all it does is continuously reboot. I am able to boot to the install program on the host, but booting it inside the VM, it does not start. Any suggestions?

Daniel
 
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