RE: Help autobooting FreeBSD 4.2

[GB/DEV - Doug Poland]

Jochen Hoenicke said...
>
> > On Jan 10, Doug Poland wrote:
> > I installed the latest grub from the FreeBSD package
> > and create a grub boot floppy.  Now I want to either
> > have the system boot automatically from the HD or
> > from the floppy.
>
> What do you mean?  Do you want to boot grub from a floppy,
> or do you want to boot from a floppy with grub?
>
Sorry for my lack of clarity.  I want the system to boot
and load the OS without user intervention.  Booting from
the HD is preferable, but a boot floppy will suffice.

> > As I was following the info page instructions for HD
> > install, I wasn't sure if I should install into the
> > MBR or the boot sector.  I created the HD with the
> > "dangerously dedicated" option.
>
> I don't know BSD.  I just searched for "dangerously
> dedicated"  and if I understand the description correctly,
> grub doesn't support those disks since they have no MBR.
>
I believe that to be the case...

> You may check this by booting from a grub boot floppy
> and executing the command "geometry", for the disk in
> question.  If this just returns the error "Partition
> table invalid or corrupted" there is no chance to
> install grub on that disk.  You can only install grub
> on a floppy or another hard disk and then chainload
> the BSD disk.
>
>   Jochen
>
This is what I do when booting from my grub boot floppy...

grub> root (hd0,a)

        Filesystem type is ffs, partition type 0xa5

grub> geometry

        Error: Unrecognized device string

grub> kernel /boot/loader

        "...some FreeBSD stuff here..."

grub> boot

And away it goes...

Is this chainloading?

Doug