*BSD News Article 94105


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From: "Ming Chu" <mingchu@cory.eecs.berkeley.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: CDROM Installation Probs.
Date: 22 Apr 1997 04:54:46 GMT
Organization: U.C. Berkeley
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Just one more suggestion:

If you really want to install from your v2.1.6 FreeBSD CDROM, just
<<borrow>> a scsi CDROM drive and install it. You can still use your IDE
CDROM after installation.

Vlad <roubtsov@uiuc.edu> wrote in article <335B17CD.59E2B600@uiuc.edu>...
> Adam L. Simpson wrote:
> > 
> > 
> > Hi... the scenario is this:
> > I am installing 2.1.7.  I have tried the following:
> > 
> > I first tried via the cdrom... this failed because of the cdrom being
ide i am
> > assuming.. Do I need to go scsi with the cdrom drive?
> 
> I think the following is true: prior to v2.2.1 the kernel that was
> packed inside the boot floppy didn't have atapi cdrom support switched
> on, despite it being on in kernel.GENERIC. I have an IDE cdrom and I
> have verified myself that it isn't recognized when booting into v2.1.5
> install program but it _is_ recognized by v2.2.1 boot floppy. I am still
> using v2.1.5 [so, to perform the abovementioned check I downloaded
> boot.flp image for v2.2.1 from FreeBSD ftp site] and I know I wouldn't
> have been able to install from a CD back then -- _even though_ the atapi
> support was good enough in v2.1.5 already [at least for my Toshiba 12x].
> 
> If you insist on installing directly from CD, either get a SCSI cdrom or
> FreeBSD 2.2.1 CD (which way is cheaper? :) 
> 
> > 
> > I then tried xcopy to a dos partition on the d drive and tried to
install it to
> > the c drive wd0 which also failed.
> 
> Wait a sec, don't the pre-install instructions specify that for DOS
> install you must have the ditribution in C:\FREEBSD ? (_not_ D: or
> whatever).
> 
> > 
> > I have tried the setup program that transfers the files to the drive
and tried
> > to install that way.... that too failed.
> 
> I am not sure what you mean above...
> 
> > 
> > I guess the questions I have are:
> > 
> > 1.  Do you have any tips for me to enable this to suceed?
> 
> (A) I have installed different FreeBSD versions from DOS partitions
> successfully several times. The distribution files _must_ be on C: DOS
> drive [or should I say, 1st BIOS drive, i.e. drive # 80h ?]. (somebody
> from the core team could confirm if the install program uses BIOS int
> 13h to read dist files from C: or not)
> 
> If this is not your case, could you swap drives at least temporarily so
> that the one you're installing _on_ is _not_ c:? Later on you may swap
> them back if necessary, but you may need to edit /etc/fstab to make sure
> everything can be mounted in the new configuration. I have played with
> such things and it is possible.
> 
> (B) Another important issue: BIOS translation for your IDE drives. You
> _must_ switch it off for the drive you install _on_. If it's the same
> drive that has distribution files for from-DOS install, you may have to
> reformat it without translation. BIOS translation works around 1024
> cylinder int 13h limit (and others). Go to your BIOS setup and check if
> it says something like "LBA" or "Large" next to your drive types. What
> you need is "CHS" or "Normal". You can read up on BIOS translation issue
> in "EIDE .. FAQ", can't remember the link right now, get it from my
> collection at http://www.physics.uiuc.edu/~roubtsov/ (in fact, read the
> FAQ _before_ changing anything)
> 
> (C) If you stick to your v2.1.7 CD+IDE cdrom combo and hence must do an
> install from DOS, either install on a different disk or on a second
> partition of the same disk. In the latter case make sure your FreeBSD
> partition starts at a cylinder # that is <1024 [because of the
> translation issue again]. DOS fdisk will report a smaller disk size than
> the actual size -- don't worry about it, FreeBSD will use the rest
> correctly.
> 
> (D) Finally, don't specify "bad block checking" in disklabel or
> partition editor for IDE drives -- it won't work, since you will have
> switched BIOS translation off at that point and bad144 program does its
> scan and then attempts to write a bad block map via int 13h at some
> cylinder (the last one?) that is already inaccessible.
> 
> Whew... Confused even more now :) ?
> 
> > 2.  Is it simply replacing the ide cdrom with a scsi?
> 
> Not necessarly [see above].
> 
> > 3.  Have you had as much grief installing fbsd on your machines?  Will
we
> > alsways have this sort of hassle?
> 
> As far as my experience is concerned, the only unexpected part was that
> bad block checking option mentioned in (D) above. Kind of annoying to
> wait through the lengthy bad block scan only to see the install program
> fail after that. Otherwise several installs from DOS partition or using
> ftp went without a glitch.
> 
> > 
> > Pentium Pro 200Mhz, 2 4Gb ide harddrives, 128Mb RAM, Toshiba 12x ide
cdrom
> 
> Hey ,I've just noticed: you cdrom is the same as mine... Am I in trouble
> with v2.2.1 :) ? Nah...I think not...Will order the CD some time soon... 
> 
> > my dos partition was 200Mb and the entire disk was 4gb.  I tried to so
an
> > install from wdo to wd1 so yes, we were on the second partition.  I 
> 
> No, no: wd0 and wd1 don't refer to different partitions -- they are
> different drives. Say, I have 1 ide disk split into a tiny DOS partition
> and the rest given to BSD, then DOS is wd0s1, while BSD's /usr, /var are
> wd0s2f and wd0s2e and so on. FreeBSD "slice" scheme is explained in one
> of help screens of the sysinstall program -- press F1 when in "FreeBSD
> disklabel editor" and read all of it. Things appear confusing because of
> terminology: DOS-fdisk-style partitions [the ones written in the
> partiton table in the master boot record at the start of every hard
> drive] <-> FreeBSD partitions [usual UNIX meaning].
> 
> > were errors displayed...
> > 
> > It put me in the mode of # and never asked me for login or anything...
kindo of
> > like files not being there or somthing..
> > 
> 
> May well be the translation issue at work here.
> 
> > I appreciate the help..
> > 
> > Adam L. Simpson
> 
> Sure, let us know when you succeed.
> 
> Vlad.
>