NOTE: THIS GUIDE ONLY APPLIES IF YOUR PRIMARY O/S IS LINUX!!!
If you have a linux machine and your wanting to try FreeBSD on a separate partion... you may encounter the problem where the bootmgr (if installed) will wipe out your grub boot loader who's menu.lst file is exists on your linux drive.
DONT PANIC!!!
There is a very simple fix to this problem. The easiest way to do this is to use a live cd/dvd distro (any distro will do)
If your live distro takes you directly to the command prompt then obviously skip this next stop (duh!)
If your live distro takes you to a window manager then load a terminal (duh!?*!)
This will take you to the Grub command prompt.
Then type:
This should bring you a result back similar to this:
This tells us the location (by drive and partion) of the correct drive from which to launch our boot manager.
Now.. still at the grub> prompt, type:
Obviously here replacing (hd0,0) with the returned result from the previous command.
Now type (also at the >grub prompt):
And thats the first part done! Now reboot and your original grub boot loader will be restored!! Yippie!!
But hang about... now you have no entry for your shiny new FreeBSD install?!?!
Simply boot into your Linux O/S and enter a terminal. Then find your menu.lst file (usually located in /boot/grub/).
Edit this file using your usual editing program and add and entry to the the file.
Here is an example for you.. obviously replace the partition number with the correct one that you installed FreeBSD on!!
Usually on a generic Linux install it will be the same as above as your main partion will be 0,0 your swap partition will be 0,1 and therefore your FreeBSD partition will be 0,2.
I hope that anyone attempting to move into FreeBSD from Linux will find this How To usefull. I'm still very much a noob at this FreeBSD stuff .. but would like to share my journey with others also wishing to do the same.
If you have a linux machine and your wanting to try FreeBSD on a separate partion... you may encounter the problem where the bootmgr (if installed) will wipe out your grub boot loader who's menu.lst file is exists on your linux drive.
DONT PANIC!!!
There is a very simple fix to this problem. The easiest way to do this is to use a live cd/dvd distro (any distro will do)
If your live distro takes you directly to the command prompt then obviously skip this next stop (duh!)
If your live distro takes you to a window manager then load a terminal (duh!?*!)
Code:
sudo grub
This will take you to the Grub command prompt.
Then type:
Code:
find /boot/grub/stage1
This should bring you a result back similar to this:
Code:
grub> find /boot/grub/stage1
(hd0,0)
This tells us the location (by drive and partion) of the correct drive from which to launch our boot manager.
Now.. still at the grub> prompt, type:
Code:
root (hd0,0)
Obviously here replacing (hd0,0) with the returned result from the previous command.
Now type (also at the >grub prompt):
Code:
setup (hd0)
And thats the first part done! Now reboot and your original grub boot loader will be restored!! Yippie!!
But hang about... now you have no entry for your shiny new FreeBSD install?!?!
Simply boot into your Linux O/S and enter a terminal. Then find your menu.lst file (usually located in /boot/grub/).
Edit this file using your usual editing program and add and entry to the the file.
Here is an example for you.. obviously replace the partition number with the correct one that you installed FreeBSD on!!
Code:
title Ubuntu 9.04, kernel 2.6.28-13-generic (recovery mode)
uuid f452a305-bdba-4f83-97a3-f87ecfdfc34c
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.28-13-generic root=UUID=f452a305-bdba-4f83-97$
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.28-13-generic
title Ubuntu 9.04, memtest86+
uuid f452a305-bdba-4f83-97a3-f87ecfdfc34c
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin
quiet
title FreeBSD 7.2
root (hd0,2)
chainloader +1
Usually on a generic Linux install it will be the same as above as your main partion will be 0,0 your swap partition will be 0,1 and therefore your FreeBSD partition will be 0,2.
I hope that anyone attempting to move into FreeBSD from Linux will find this How To usefull. I'm still very much a noob at this FreeBSD stuff .. but would like to share my journey with others also wishing to do the same.