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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!news.mel.connect.com.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!paladin.american.edu!zombie.ncsc.mil!news.mathworks.com!newsfeed.internetmci.com!news.dacom.co.kr!news.uoregon.edu!mars.efn.org!usenet From: Michelle Brownsworth <michellb@efn.org> Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Subject: Re: FreeBSD 2.1 install fiasco Date: 3 Jan 1996 10:04:40 GMT Organization: Oregon Public Networking Lines: 74 Message-ID: <4cdkbo$9pr@mars.efn.org> References: <4c9vmb$17h@mars.efn.org> NNTP-Posting-Host: dynip12.efn.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 1.1N (Macintosh; I; 68K) X-URL: news:4c9vmb$17h@mars.efn.org Actually, I was hoping some kind and knowledgeable soul would know the answer to the implied question in my previous posting... Michelle Brownsworth <michellb@efn.org> wrote: > >I've encountered a certain amount of thrashing about with the installation of >FreeBSD 2.1, caused principally by two factors: (1) an IDE CD-ROM drive that's >not recogized by the drivers in either boot floppy (created with INST_IDE.BAT or >ATAPIFLP.BAT), and (2) a system/BIOS that can't access drives larger than 1024 >cylinders (528 MB). > >The first problem was not insurmountable, since FreeBSD thoughtfully provided for >installation from a DOS partition. In preparation for this I XCOPY'd most of the >/DISTS/ and various other directories from the CD to the 504 MB DOS partition on >my new Western Digital AC31600 1.6 GB drive. > >Now, although Western Digital provides software, Ontrack Disk Manager, to deal >with the 528 MB barrier, the W/D manual (addressing Unix installation) states: >"Ontrack Disk Manager CANNOT be used with Unix. Current Unix operating systems >do not work with translatin BIOs. You must set up your BIOS without enabling the >translation feature. Enter your CMOS setup and select a user-defined drive type. >Enter these parameters: cylinders = 1024 (instead of 3148, the actual number of >cylinders), heads = 16, sectors = 63. This will disable the translation feature >in your BIOS." The manual goes on to warn: "CAUTION: Do not install the drive >using an auto config drive type in the CMOS setup. Do not enter more than 1024 >cylinders of 16 heads for any drive with a capacity over 528 MB." Then it goes >on to state: "You may need to manually enter the number of cylinders during the >Unix partitioning to obtain the full capacity of your drive. Don't enter these >numbers in CMOS. These numbers are used during the partioning segment of the >Unix installation." > >That's pretty clear," I said to the dog. "And Unix certanly won't care a >fig about no stinking 528 MB BIOS limit." So I did as the manual said. Then I >booted with the FreeBSD floppy and proceeded with a Novice installation, >choosing the "Install from a DOS partition" method, and also opted for the dual >OS boot routine to be installed. The actual installation went swimmingly. >"Lulu, we're home free," I chortled to the dog, who seemed skeptical; perhaps >her canine (dog, to the layperson) intuition sensed what was to come next... > >I rebooted the system, and was presented with the boot routine's menu: > >F1 . . . dos >F2 . . . BSD > >Triumphantly, I pressed F2... > >Error: C:1024 > 1023 (BIOS limit) > >Ulp! I dropped to one knee, the wind knocked out of me. Lulu was on her back, >rolling from side to side with doggie laughter. > >"Lulu, where did we go wrong?" I beseeched her. > >She regarded me with amusement. "Simple," she seemed to be saying. "Unix itself >doesn't care about BIOS's 528 MB limit, but what about FreeBSD's OS boot routine? > It apparently does. You might have to upgrade your old (AMI, with SYS chip set) >BIOS, if FreeBSD doesn't have a work-around. Now how 'bout one of those Friskies >Jerky Strips?" > >Well. Some days I think I shoulda stood in bed... > >[mutter, mumble] >\\ichelle > The implied question here is, are Lulu's assumptions correct? Am I going to have to upgrade my BIOS in order for BootEasy to work? If not, what's the solution? I've got a new FreeBSD installation I can't seem to get to... Thanks in advance, \\ichelle