# FreeBSD partitions/slices --> OpenBSD disklabel



## rhish (Feb 24, 2012)

I have a disk that was used in a FreeBSD 9.0 system. It was a secondary disk for data. It had two slices I would mount as /serv1 and /serv2.
Then I would just store data on them. Its a 500 GB disk, /serv1 was 50 GB and /serv2 was 400 GB.

The freebsd FreeBSD system died, hardware death. In the mean time, *I* have an OpnBSD system here. I tried putting the HDD with /serv1 and /serv2 in the OpenBSD system to see if *I* could just mount those slices in OpenBSD and make the data available.

Partial success. OpenBSD sees the drive. I can use *disklabel wd0* to see the disklabel. But it only shows the first /serv1 partition. It doesn*'*t show the second /serv2 partition. 

It also seems odd that the partition is listed as wd0i

I know the partitions/slices were d and e when they were in the freebsd FreeBSD system. It*'*s weird that it goes all the way to wd0i to use it. And then nothing else is available. *disklabel* shows

```
c: 976773168  0  unused
i: 976768002  63 unknown       # /serv1
```
*T*hat*'*s it. *T*he serv2 partition/slice isn*'*t there.

Which, *I* understand, is because of the difference in the way freebsd FreeBSD and OpenBSD handle partitions and slices and whatever else. *O*k.

At this point, I want to try and boot the OpenBSD system, using a FreeBSD LIVE type CD, mount both partitions, and copy the data from /serv2 to /serv1. Then reboot into OpenBSD and all the data will be available since *I*'m able to see wd0i /serv1 and mount it. It*'*s not a lot of data, but it*'*s important data.

Would anyone be so kind as to recommend a LIVE type CD or DVD *I* could download, burn, and use to boot into a freebsd FreeBSD environment. It needs to be able to see a freebsd FreeBSD disklabel properly. And then instructions on how to then mount both of those partitions/slices, so *I* can move all the data from /serv2 to /serv1.

Ultimately, it would be great if there were a way for OpenBSD to see the FreeBSD partitions. But that is probably a question for the OpenBSD forums...

Or, a way for me to boot into live freebsd FreeBSD, mount /serv1 and /serv2, AND the OpenBSD drive, and move everything over to there?

It looks like the whole FreeBSD on LiveCD lost its spark a while back.I can*'*t find anything with current support. Does anyone know of a recent one that will work for my situation?

And then some instructions, outline, for accomplishing what *I'm* trying to do?


----------



## J65nko (Feb 25, 2012)

Both FreeBSD and OpenBSD can handle 4 partitions defined in the MBR. The difference is in the disklabels. FreeBSD has a disklabel structure for each individual MBR partition (slice in FreeBSD speak). So you can have ad1s1d, ad1s2d, ad1s3d, ad1s4d.

OpenBSD, however, uses a single disklabel for the complete disk. In your case it uses the first FreeBSD disklabel and spoofs a label 'i' for the second partition/slice and does not know how to use the FreeBSD disklabel for partition/slice 2.


----------



## wblock@ (Feb 25, 2012)

mfsBSD is a good live CD.  The FreeBSD 9 install CD will also boot into a live shell.


----------

