GRUB

[Trip0d]

I don't know where else to turn...
I have a FreeBSD 5.3 box with two HDD's.
One has win98, and the other BSD. FreeBSD's boot loader doesn't recognize Windows on the other HDD, so I was thinking of installing GRUB, but I was reading about how to do it, and I am lost. Is there an easier alternative? Am I even barking up the right tree here? Or is there a way to get FreeBSD's boot loader to behave?

I submitted this to the mailing list for FreeBSD, but they aren't touching this one with a ten foot pole.

 

[chipperMDW]

I've installed GRUB a couple times. I'd recommend using it.

See if this helps you become un-lost.


Here's instructions for installing the GRUB package (the tools, but not the boot record itself):

http://lfs.linux-phreak.net/lfs/view/stable/chapter06/grub.html

And here's instructions for installing the boot record itself:

http://lfs.linux-phreak.net/lfs/view/stable/chapter08/grub.html

That website describes how to build a complete Linux distribution from scratch, so there may be pieces of it that don't make sense for BSD or for a system you didn't build.

If so, or if you have questions, check back here.

In particular, I'd look to see if there's any special syntax for booting BSD that's needed in the [tt]menu.lst[/tt] file.

You also have to figure out the correct drive names for your system; the defaults in there probably aren't right for you.


And I'm sure you already know this, but be very careful when playing around with your master boot record. Keep a rescue disk handy and all that good stuff.

 

[jshurst]

Can you use Lilo? I found it very easy to use, but that was a while back.

 

[jstreich]

<1337 teen ager>Lilo is soooo '90s, man.</1337 teenager>

Seriously, Lilo or grub should both work... There is also bootagic, but I've only seen it packaged with Caldara Open Linux and with Partition Magic. Partition Magic is rather expensive, and SCO hasn't done anything with Caldara in a dogs age.

Grub is easy, you should be able to find a BSD port if you post in the BSD Desktop forum...