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WIN98, RH 7.1 and FreeBSD triple boot?

A

Ace69

Senior member
I currently have WIN98 and Red Hat 7.1 as a dual boot and everything is working OK. I want to venture into the *BSD world so I have decided to try FreeBSD to see how things work. I know FreeBSD is similar to Red Hat, but I am noticing alot of things that I am not familiar with. I have a few questions for you BSD guys.

1. Can I triple boot these OSs?
2. If I can, do I have to install FreeBSD under the 1024 cylinder like Linux?
3. Can I install FreeBSD after I install WIN98 and RH? I ask this because I am already dual booting M$ and RH and I really don't want to format again.

I guess that is all the questions that I have for now. I have already made a large printout of all my hardware devices' IRQ and IO addresses so I think I am ready to go.
 


<< I currently have WIN98 and Red Hat 7.1 as a dual boot and everything is working OK. I want to venture into the *BSD world so I have decided to try FreeBSD to see how things work. I know FreeBSD is similar to Red Hat, but I am noticing alot of things that I am not familiar with. I have a few questions for you BSD guys.

1. Can I triple boot these OSs? >>



Yes



<< 2. If I can, do I have to install FreeBSD under the 1024 cylinder like Linux? >>



It is best to, but I think I have gone over before.



<< 3. Can I install FreeBSD after I install WIN98 and RH? I ask this because I am already dual booting M$ and RH and I really don't want to format again. >>



Yes, and adding it to lilo or using its own bootmanager are both 2 EASY options.




<< I guess that is all the questions that I have for now. I have already made a large printout of all my hardware devices' IRQ and IO addresses so I think I am ready to go. >>



Good luck.
 


<< Yes, and adding it to lilo or using its own bootmanager are both 2 EASY options. >>


How would I add it to LILO? That would be the easy approach.
 


<<

<< Yes, and adding it to lilo or using its own bootmanager are both 2 EASY options. >>


How would I add it to LILO? That would be the easy approach. >>



Post your lilo.conf and I will give you a possible answer (cant tell for sure without seeing dmesg and whatnot and I dont have a lilo.conf readily available to look at). Sucks that I dont have a linux machine around here sometimes 😛
 
Here you go:

boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
prompt
timeout=50
message=/boot/message
linear
default=linux

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.2-2
label=linux
read-only
root=/dev/hda2
append="hdc=ide-scsi"

other=/dev/hda1
optional
label=WIN98

Thanks again for the help n0cmonkey. You da man!
 
boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
prompt
timeout=50
message=/boot/message
linear
default=linux

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.2-2
label=linux
read-only
root=/dev/hda2
append="hdc=ide-scsi"

other=/dev/hda1
optional
label=WIN98

other=/dev/hda7
label=BSD



Ok, it is something like that. I look at it and realize I havent done this in over a year 😛
There might be an option there for the kernel name (Which will be /bsd) but I cannot remember. Check linuxdoc.org, they may have a better answer. I guess Im not the man, used to be, but I dropped the ball 😛

EDIT: http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/mini/Linux+FreeBSD-4.html might help
 
Alright, I will give that a try after I try to install it. Another question arises now that I think about it. What would you recommend on the size of the partition for FreeBSD?
 


<< Alright, I will give that a try after I try to install it. Another question arises now that I think about it. What would you recommend on the size of the partition for FreeBSD? >>



I would make a slice around 2-3GB and let the system partition it how it wants. 2-3GB (if you can spare it) will give you plenty of room to play with. And you can install ports and or src and learn the powers of make build 🙂
 
Actually, I would recommend changing the default partition sizes. By default the /var partition is only 10 or 20 megs, which imho is way to small. I'd bump it to at least 100 or more megs, especially if you'll be running a mail server.
 


<< Actually, I would recommend changing the default partition sizes. By default the /var partition is only 10 or 20 megs, which imho is way to small. I'd bump it to at least 100 or more megs, especially if you'll be running a mail server. >>



On a multiboot system running a server is not an issue. So the default will be fine for this situation.
 
I just screwed up my system. 🙂 I tried to make a logical partition for FreeBSD. I have now read that I cannot do that. My MBR is totally messed up now. O well, I didn't have any data on the OS partitions that I wanted to keep anyway. This is how I have my current configuration now.

WIN98 2GB Primary
FreeBSD 2GB Primary
Red Hat 2GB Logical (Under the 1024 cylinder)

I am installing WIN98 now. I hope that this configuration works OK. I am crossing my fingers.

 
Sorry to hear that.. Thats why (when I forced myself to dualboot *shudder) I installed everything on primary partitions. It just seemed like a better idea...
 
1. Yes
2. the 1024 cylinder is a lie for linux
3. By all means I would personally install FreeBSD after those 2 OSes.

I would not use Lilo.&amp;nbsp; FreeBSD's bootloader is much better in my opinion.&amp;nbsp; just press F1/F2/F3/F4/F5, etc. to boot.&amp;nbsp; And for partition FreeBSD.&amp;nbsp; DO NOT use the default setup.&amp;nbsp; It is not very good in my opinion at all.&amp;nbsp; Just create 1 FreeBSD partition, continue on.&amp;nbsp; when it says to partition the partition set it up as swap = 1.5-2x your memory, and / = rest of the space.
 


<< 1. Yes
2. the 1024 cylinder is a lie for linux
3. By all means I would personally install FreeBSD after those 2 OSes.

I would not use Lilo.&amp;nbsp; FreeBSD's bootloader is much better in my opinion.&amp;nbsp; just press F1/F2/F3/F4/F5, etc. to boot.&amp;nbsp; And for partition FreeBSD.&amp;nbsp; DO NOT use the default setup.&amp;nbsp; It is not very good in my opinion at all.&amp;nbsp; Just create 1 FreeBSD partition, continue on.&amp;nbsp; when it says to partition the partition set it up as swap = 1.5-2x your memory, and / = rest of the space. >>



1. You did not read the thread.
2. All those "HTML" thingies get annoying and make your post unreadable.
3. The 1024 cylinder is NOT a lie for linux, although linux may have found a way around x86 "hardware".
4. The FreeBSD installer does a fine job of partitioning a slice for a machine to learn FreeBSD on and as you learn more about the system and what you want to accomplish with it you will have a better idea of how you should partition it.
5. I agree that FreeBSD's bootloader is easier, but I have had troubles with it and I actually have no clue how to configure it anymore (havent used FreeBSD since 4.1 really although I did install 4.3 I think).


EDIT: Sorry about the HTML thingy comment, it is apparently a bug for some people... *Shrug* 🙂
 
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