Multi-boot Linux + FreeBSD

[Ralf Mardorf]

Hi,

as a long time Linux user I'll test FreeBSD, because I've got issues
with my sound card on Linux. I'm already subscribed to FreeBSD
multimedia.

Perhaps later today I'll install 9.0 amd64. If possible I'll keep my
Linux GRUB legacy. Can I use my menu.lst [1] and add a chainloader or
something similar to boot FreeBSD from /dev/sda1?

FWIW I made backups of my HDD's MBRs.

I wonder if the installer will overwrite the MBR?

I also would like to know, if there's a way to recover the partition
table, including a primary FreeBSD partition/slice, if this ever should
get broken and there should be no backup of the partition table be
available.

TIA,
Ralf


[1]
$ cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
timeout   8
default   0
color light-blue/black light-cyan/blue

title Ubuntu Quantal,        kernel 3.6.5-rt14
root   (hd1,8)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.6.5-rt14 root=/dev/sdb9 ro quiet 
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.6.5-rt14

title Ubuntu Quantal,        kernel 3.5.0-18-lowlatency threadirqs
root   (hd1,8)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-18-lowlatency root=/dev/sdb9 ro quiet threadirqs
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.5.0-18-lowlatency

title Ubuntu Quantal,        kernel 3.5.0-18-lowlatency (recovery mode)
root   (hd1,8)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-18-lowlatency root=/dev/sdb9 ro  single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.5.0-18-lowlatency

title Ubuntu Studio Quantal, Kernel 3.6.5-rt14
root=(hd1,12)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.6.5-rt14 root=/dev/sdb13 ro quiet
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.6.5-rt14

title Ubuntu Studio Quantal, Kernel 3.5.0-18-lowlatency threadirqs
root=(hd1,12)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-18-lowlatency root=/dev/sdb13 ro quiet threadirqs
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.5.0-18-lowlatency

title Ubuntu Studio Precise, Kernel 3.0.30 threadirqs
root=(hd1,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.0.30 root=UUID=338316fb-364e-4a43-8deb-738127f878ce ro quiet threadirqs
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.0.30

title Ubuntu Studio Precise, Kernel 3.2.0-23-lowlatency threadirqs
root=(hd1,0)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.2.0-23-lowlatency root=UUID=338316fb-364e-4a43-8deb-738127f878ce ro quiet threadirqs
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.2.0-23-lowlatency

title AVlinux 5.0.3,         Kernel 3.0.23-rt40
root=(hd1,10)	
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.0.23-rt40 root=/dev/sdb11 ro quiet
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.0.23-rt40

title AVlinux 5.0.3,         Kernel 3.0.23-avl-7-pae threadirqs
root=(hd1,10)	
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.0.23-avl-7-pae root=/dev/sdb11 ro threadirqs quiet
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.0.23-avl-7-pae

title Edubuntu 10.10,        Kernel 2.6.33.9-rt31
root=(hd1,7)	
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.33.9-rt31 root=UUID=ded93dfb-37ae-48cf-a3a3-b613aa5704fd ro
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.33.9-rt31

title Ubuntu Studio Oz,      Kernel 3.0.0-17-generic
root=(hd1,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-17-generic root=UUID=0241b2ac-a0ab-44de-8d73-0ed084e152e6
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.0.0-17-generic

title Ubuntu Studio Oz,      Kernel 3.0.0-20-generic
root=(hd1,5)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-20-generic root=UUID=0241b2ac-a0ab-44de-8d73-0ed084e152e6
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.0.0-20-generic

title  Arch Linux Rt
root   (hd0,8)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-linux-rt root=/dev/sda9 ro
initrd /boot/initramfs-linux-rt.img

title  Arch Linux
root   (hd0,8)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-linux root=/dev/sda9 ro
initrd /boot/initramfs-linux.img

title  Arch Linux Fallback
root   (hd0,8)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-linux root=/dev/sda9 ro
initrd /boot/initramfs-linux-fallback.img

title openSUSE 11.2,         Kernel 2.6.31.6-rt19
root   (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.31.6-rt19  root=/dev/sda7
initrd /boot/initrd-2.6.31.6-rt19

title Ubuntu Quantal memtest86+
root   (hd1,8)
kernel /boot/memtest86+.bin