*BSD News Article 12987


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From: jdg00@ccc.amdahl.com (Josh Grosse)
Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.questions
Subject: Ack!  Ick!  Ook!  Argh!
Message-ID: <fcpA02Mq3aKZ01@JUTS.ccc.amdahl.com>
Date: 17 Mar 93 22:08:21 GMT
Reply-To: joshua.grosse@amail.amdahl.com (Josh Grosse)
Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale CA
Lines: 42

I'm a Linux user switching to 386BSD to do some beta testing of a future
XFree release.  I have a terrible problem with TinyBSD; perhaps someone
here can put me on the right road.

SYMPTOM:  TinyBSD installs just fine when using the entire disk.  Installing
in a partition (partition #2, behind MS-DOS) seems to go just fine.  The
install program formats the partition, builds a filesystem, mounts the
partition, installs the complete TinyBSD package onto the hard-drive.  Then
booting from the hard drive causes a "cannot find label" panic/reboot loop.
The exact same problem occurs with both the "official" 7/92 TinyBSD, and
with the 1/93 "unofficial" TinyBSD from the patch-kit at agate.

Using disklabel from the fixit diskette, I am able to determine that a
label sort-of-exists using "disklabel -r /dev/rwd0", with plenty of
incorrect entries.  The entries seemed just fine with the entire-disk
instead of the partitioned method.  My disk is a PC/AT "Type 37" 120MB
drive.  

Looking at the label under "entire-disk" format, I see that it's an
ESDI/IDE drive.  It has 3 "partitions" defined, the first is a 4.2BSD,
the others are unused.  And, it boots fine.  Looking at the label
when I'm running partitioned, I see that the number of cylinders is
incorrect, rpm and interleave are 0, and there is one partition unused.

I've looked at the FAQ and the BUGS at agate, and it appears that as I've
got an IDE drive, there MAY be various problems.  I've not seen anything
that says those problems go away if you let 386BSD have the whole disk.

Unfortunately, I still need my MS-DOS system, and I don't look forward
to several hours of backups and restores to switch between operating 
systems.

Would some kind and knowledgeable person please point me in the right
direction?  Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.



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Josh Grosse                                jdg00@amail.amdahl.com
Amdahl Corp.                               313-358-4440
Southfield, Michigan