new 6.1 install will not boot

Fri Aug 18 12:40:00 UTC 2006

Perry Hutchison wrote:
>>> The BIOS clears the screen and loads the boot sector, then nothing.
>> I'm not sure exactly what the problem is, but I can say I've 
>> installed FreeBSD x.y on just about every flavor of Dell hardware 
>> without much trouble, so it should work for you. Disclaimer: the 
>> Dimension line is highly variable re: component types, chip versions 
>> and overall quality, so all bets are off there, even though all the 
>> pieces are generally "mainstream hardware".
> 
> It's an Optiplex GX1, with 192MB/10GB.
> 
>> Did you install using the default/suggested disk geometry and slice 
>> arrangement, or did  you try to tune things as the installer went along?
> 
> I didn't try to mess with the geometry, but I didn't give FreeBSD the
> whole disk -- I intend for it to coexist with Linux and a FAT32 OS.
> I also adjusted the subpartitioning (and this seems to be necessary
> -- see below).
> 
>> Try this: Reinstall, and if prompted about disk geometry problems 
>> just let the installer do what it wants to. When prompted to choose 
>> a disk location to install to, choose "A" for "Use Entire Disk", and 
>> when prompted to slice up that disk area, choose "A" again for "Auto 
>> Defaults". When prompted for a boot manager, choose to install the 
>> FreeBSD MBR.
> 
> It worked better this time.  I suspect the important difference was
> that I let it install the FreeBSD MBR (with considerable misgivings,
> given the onscreen caution about PC-DOS -- but the FreeBSD boot
> manager does seem to boot Windoze without problems).
> 
> Unfortunately, it looks as if I'll have to do it *again* because
> the default /usr size was quite a bit too small -- even though
> sysinstall had over 3GB to start with.
> 
> Using the default allocation of that 3GB, and selecting a Developer
> configuration (including ports), the install stopped with
> 
>   Couldn't create directory /usr/compat: No space left on device.
> 
> "df" confirms that /usr is full (and the considerably larger /var
> is nearly empty):
> 
>   Filesystem  1K-blocks    Used   Avail Capacity  Mounted on
>   /dev/ad0s3a    507630   35212  431808     8%    /
>   devfs               1       1       0   100%    /dev
>   /dev/ad0s3e    507630      12  467008     0%    /tmp
>   /dev/ad0s3f    832504  811572  -45668   106%    /usr
>   /dev/ad0s3d   1190350     248 1094874     0%    /var
> 
> In case it matters, uname -a reports:
> 
>   FreeBSD gx1 6.1-RELEASE FreeBSD 6.1-RELEASE #0: Sun May  7 04:32:43 UTC 2006     root at opus.cse.buffalo.edu:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC  i386
> 
> Evidently I need to make /, /tmp, and /var quite a bit smaller,
> so as to enlarge /usr.
> 
>> ... if you still have problems describe to the list
>> the end result you're trying to achieve by your tuning.
> 
> The first goal is to finish the install without running out of
> space :)  I'd prefer to also arrange for FreeBSD to share the
> Linux swap space -- thus freeing up more space for /usr or /home
> by eliminating ad0s3b -- rather than leaving the Linux swap
> unused when FreeBSD is running.  I've found some mentions of
> Linux swap partitions in the FreeBSD source code, so I suspect
> that this might be possible, but I didn't find any mention in
> the docs of how to do it.
> 
> The drive currently has three primary partitions (Linux /boot,
> FAT32, FreeBSD) and an extended partition containing Linux swap
> and Linux root.  Partition Commander (commercial) shows the disk
> layout as
> 
>     Ptn   size   ----- type -----  1st sector  # of sectors
>     P1      7M   Linux ext2 0x83          63       16002
>     P0   2.44G   FAT32      0x08       16128     5124672
>     P2   3.34G   Unix       0xA5     5140800     7020405
>     P3   3.73G   Extended   0x0F    12161205     7823655
>      L0    392M   Linux swap 0x82    12161268      803187
>      L1   3.34G   Linux ext2 0x83    12964518     7020342
> 
> To answer one forseeable question before it is asked :) I have
> quite a bit of Un*x experience, but have not done much system
> setup or administration since SunOS 4.1.

Well, it sounds like you're getting closer. You'll need a rubber 
mallet, a chisel, a shoehorn and plenty of WD-40 to get all you want 
out of 10GB total disk space, but it /could/ be made to work. It 
also sounds like you've got enough sense to work it out. Optiplex 
should be no problem at all.

re: applying the FreeBSD MBR, I really suggested it only because 
that would make one less unknown. Now that you know FreeBSD can 
boot, you can use any loader you like. For your kind of setup I 
might go with GAG.

Automated log rotation usually keeps /var bloat in check, so it 
doesn't really need to be very large, whereas /usr will tend to grow 
fast if you do a lot of /usr/local & /usr/ports work. I don't know 
anything about sharing a Linux swap space.

Personally, if this was just a learning/POC box and there was no 
other way but to cram all you want into 10 GB, I might be tempted to 
just give FreeBSD a swap partition (shared or otherwise) and / the 
rest of whatever space you have for it. That would be truly unholy 
for a production system and would mean you couldn't do certain file 
system maintenance tasks "in the proper manner", but given your 
constraints it could free you from a good bit of elbow room jostling 
now and in the future.

However you work the space, if you try to do anything very 
significant with the /usr/ports tree in 2-3 GB, you're in for no 
fun. I usually surpass that within hours after sysinstall finishes, 
but then I like to keep both packages and sources on hand after 
installing a port. It is possible to keep /usr bloat in check 
(somewhat) if you don't do that, and the portsclean utility can help 
you keep the raw materials tidy. Recommend you get a [bigger|second] 
disk if you can though, or housecleaning will be a constant chore.

-- 
Greg Barniskis, Computer Systems Integrator
South Central Library System (SCLS)
Library Interchange Network (LINK)
<gregb at scls.lib.wi.us>, (608) 266-6348