# switching to FreeBSD



## hirohitosan (Dec 17, 2008)

Hi there.
My system has 2 HDD, on the first is Ubuntu (ad6) and on the second is FreeBSD (ad8).

I want to set up FreeBSD as my first OS.

At this time my system start as follow: Grub on the first HDD -> FreeBSD boot manager.

My plan is to set FreeBSD boot manager, make FreeBSD default, format the Linux partition UFS, and finally have just FreeBSD on my system.
It is possible without fresh install?

thanks


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## Black (Dec 17, 2008)

If you already have FreeBSD boot loader installed correctly on your drive ad8, you can just set bios to attempt boot from ad8 first.


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## hirohitosan (Dec 17, 2008)

well it's quite strange. I can't set my bios to boot from ad8. I enter in BIOS -> Boot and when I try to change the HDD order nothing happen. I mean a menu appear, I chose as first HDD the second HDD and Enter but nothing is change. When I reboot grub starts again


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## anomie (Dec 17, 2008)

_If_ I am reading / understanding this correctly, you just need to install the FBSD bootloader to your MBR. You should be able to do this from: 

*# sysinstall*


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## Black (Dec 17, 2008)

Also FreeBSD MBR could be installed directly with boot0cfg command, like this: boot0cfg -B /dev/ad6 or boot0cfg -B /dev/ad8 for other disk.


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## tankist02 (Dec 18, 2008)

Or you can install grub as the FreeBSD boot loader:

As root:

cd /usr/ports/sysinstall/grub
make install clean

and then follow the instructions.


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## hirohitosan (Dec 18, 2008)

anomie said:
			
		

> _If_ You should be able to do this from:
> *# sysinstall*



Thanks .. how? I search through the sysinstall menu but I couldn't find it ....:r


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## hirohitosan (Dec 18, 2008)

Black said:
			
		

> Also FreeBSD MBR could be installed directly with boot0cfg command, like this: boot0cfg -B /dev/ad6 or boot0cfg -B /dev/ad8 for other disk.



sorry I don't want to do this before I understand a little the consequences. After boot0cfg -B /dev/ad6 should I configure FreeBSD MBR? Or will automatically recognize where is now my FreeBSD?

thanks


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## hirohitosan (Dec 18, 2008)

tankist02 said:
			
		

> cd /usr/ports/sysinstall/grub
> make install clean


I did this but I'm still afraid after reading from info grub:


> *Caution:* This procedure is definitely less safe, because there are
> several ways in which your computer can become unbootable. For example,
> most operating systems don't tell GRUB how to map BIOS drives to OS
> devices correctly--GRUB merely "guesses" the mapping. This will succeed
> ...



I don't know if continuing with grub-install
Has anyone experience in doing this?


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## Black (Dec 18, 2008)

hirohitosan said:
			
		

> sorry I don't want to do this before I understand a little the consequences. After boot0cfg -B /dev/ad6 should I configure FreeBSD MBR? Or will automatically recognize where is now my FreeBSD?
> 
> thanks



After FreeBSD MBR installed it will allow you to boot into any primary partition you have on your drives by pressing f-keys. No configuration needed. Installing MBR with boot0cfg normaly would not affect your drive's partition table.


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## hirohitosan (Dec 18, 2008)

I did it ... I give boot0cfg -B /dev/ad6 and after reboot on my screen appear:
F1 Linux
F5 Drive 1

No mater witch I chose my system doesn't start ... 

and I don't have floppy drive

what can I do now?

insert the installation CD?


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## hirohitosan (Dec 18, 2008)

it works thanks!


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