FreeBSD Installation Problems

[Sukhbinder Singh]

     First, I made the 2 image floppy disk for the 2 image files by
downloading them from ftp.freebsd.org. These 2 files are kern.flp and
msfroot.flp. I also downloaded and made an image disk for drvivers.flp just
to download the drivers at the installation process.  Then I reboot the
computer and I put the kern.flp disk. Then the computer automatically reads
drive a: and process this disk. Then it comes to a point where it asks me to
insert MFS root floppy and press enter by prompting me a message like "
Please insert MFS root floppy and press enter: " I then insert the MFS root
floppy disk and pressed enter and the computer starts processing this
diskette then it comes to a point where it displays a message like "Hit
[Enter] to boot immediately or press anykey for prompt" while this
installation program counts down from 10 to 0 and automatically boots after
reaching 0. Then, the next message that I get is "Would you like to load
kernel modules from the driver floppy ? Yes No", I pressed yes and I loaded
the drivers which I had copied from the drivers floppy from the driver.flp
file from ftp.freebsd.org.

         Then I get a message like "probing devices please wait ......" and
then it pops up a window called Sysinstall Main Menuand it gives me several
options to select the installation type. I selected the "Standard"
installation type and pressed enter to proceed to the next step. After doing
this I get a message saying "in the next menu, you will need to set up a dos
style ("fdisk") partitioning scheme for your hard disk. After pressing enter
at this prompt it takes me to the Fdisk Partition Editor. Where I have 2 MB
of my hard disk space devoted to FreeBSD. I made the dos partition active,
by moving the cursor to the partition and pressing S to set it Bootable.
Then I press Q which means finished and moved to the next screen. In the
next screen I got the Boot Manager Window to install the Boot Manager. Then,
I moved the highlighted cursor to the "install the FreeBSD Boot Manager" and
pressed enter. Then the installation program takes me to another message
window where it states that "Now you need to create a BSD Partition inside
the FDisk partition just created ...." I pressed enter to proceed. Now the
installation program takes me to the FreeBSD Disklabel Editor window. Here
the highlighted cursor is at top most area of the screen at Disk : ad 0
partition name : ad 0S2 Free : 3924585 blocks (1916MB). I pressed A which
means auto at the time when the highlighted cursor was at the top most area
of the screen at Disk : ad 0  partition name : ad 0S2 Free : 3924585 blocks
(1916MB). By pressing A at this point I get the partition for FreeBSD
partitioned into its own chunks. These pieces were for / ("root), /swap ,
/var, /usr. The root partition is assigned 256 MB, the swap partition is
assigned 176 MB, the /var partition is assigned 256 MB, the /tmp partition
is assigned 256 MB and the /usr partition is assigned 991 MB respectively.

         Then from here again I press Q which means finish and I moved to
the next screen. The next screen is called the "Choice Distribution" window
here I selected the minimal option which stands for the smallest
configuration possible and pressed ok. Then it takes me to the "choice
installation media" window. I selected FTP from here and pressed enter. Then
it takes me to the "Please select a FeeeBSD FTP distribution site" and I
selected the primary site called ftp.freebsd.org and pressed enter. Then the
installation program took me to the "Network Interface Information Required"
window. Where here I selected the PPP option. Then after selecting the PPP
option and pressing enter I was prompted another message window called the
"User Confirmation Requested" window. When it ask me "DO you want to try
IPv6 configuration of the interface? " I selected no and pressed enter to
proceeded to the next screen. Then in the next screen I get another window
with a request message like "Do you want to try DHCP configuration at the
Interface ? Yes No ". I selected No and proceeded to the next level of the
installation process. In this next level, I get a big screen called the
"Network Configuration" window to proceed with my ftp. I think or suspect
this is where the problem is.  This window has 7 fields which it requires me
to enter. These 7 fields are host, domain, ipv4 gateway, name server, IPv4
address netmask :, extra option to ifconfig. I do not know any information
regarding any of the fields. If I leave all of these fields empty, the
installation program prompts me with an error message like "must specify a
host name of some sort !"  Then I just entered a host name for the host,
like foo.com and pressed enter to proceed all the way through the 7 fields
to the OK button. Then, the installation program brings me to another window
to enter the IP address of my service provider and then it prompts another
window asking me "Does your ISP support PAP or CHAP ppp logins ? Yes No" I
pressed Yes and it requested me to enter the login name for my service
provider. I then entered my login name, then it requested me to enter my
password to my service provider and I entered my password to my service
provider and then it requested the provider's login phone number and I
entered the provider login phone number. Then this installation program asks
me if my telephone line supports tone dialing ? I selected yes and pressed
enter and proceeded further. Then, the installation program brings me to a
window saying PPP command is already started on VTY3. I pressed enter at the
OK highlighted button and then I get the final message saying "Couldn't open
FTP connection to ftp.freebsd.org: Undefined error : 0." Then at this point
I get another message saying killing previous PPP process 76 and after
pressing enter here I get another message saying "unable to adjust your
media configuration and try again : " This is my installation process. It
fails to download freebsd automatically from the freebsd ftp site like it
should. Any help will be helpful.

thanks,

Sukh.



----- Original Message -----
From: John Vender <john at jmv.com.au>
To: Sukhbinder Singh <sukhbinders at hotmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 26, 2003 6:53 PM
Subject: Re: FreeBSD Installation Problems


> On Wednesday, March 26, 2003, at 08:53 PM, Sukhbinder Singh wrote:
>
> > Hello,
> >
> >         I am trying to install FreeBSD into my personal computer,
> > however I am receiving error messages during the course of my
> > installation. When I am trying to install using the floppy method at
> > the final prompt where the istallation program requests me to put in
> > floppy disk in drive a and press enter. After putting in the disk and
> > pressing enter I receive a warning or error message like "Error
> > mounting floppy fd0 (/dev/fd0) on /dist: Invalid argument".
> >
> >           When I try to install it via FTP, at the end of the
> > installation procedure I receive a message like "Couldn't open FTP
> > connection to ftp.freebsd.org: undefined error : 0"   Can someone
> > please help me troubleshoot this problems which I had been facing with
> > the installation of FreeBSD into my personal computer.
> >
> > Thanks,
>
> from what you write I assume you made the installation floppies and the
> first floppy boots the system and starts the installation process.
> Please describe step by step what what is happening while you are trying
> to do the install from the point the system boots and starts the
> installation process including the options you select at any point where
> you are asked to select options.
>
> Cheers...John
>
>