# Installing Freebsd: partitioning doubt



## fenderplayer (Mar 23, 2009)

Hi,

This is my first attempt at a freebsd installation after using linux for some years now 
But i have really messy partitioned drives and right now theres little i can do to change them completely. It took me time to learn about good partitioning practices but by then the "damage" had been done.
Heres the linux fdisk output of my hdds:

```
Disk /dev/hda: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x02890289

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hda1   *           1         609     4891792    c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/hda2             610        4589    31969350   83  Linux
/dev/hda3            4590        8031    27647865    c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)
/dev/hda4            8032        9729    13639185    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5            8032        8157     1012063+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hda6            8158        9729    12627058+  83  Linux

Disk /dev/hdb: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0b1a4ee8

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hdb1               1        6375    51207156    5  Extended
/dev/hdb2            6376        6498      987997+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hdb3            6499        9729    25953007+  83  Linux
/dev/hdb5               1        6375    51207124+   7  HPFS/NTFS
```
I want to install freebsd on hda6 (preferably) or hda1. hda6 is a logical partition on the extd partition hda4. i can actually do away with the whole hda4 slice if required. 
hda1 is a 5gb fat32 partition and i can use this also for freebsd but the preference for hda6 is because it has more allocated space. My current GRUB is setup in hda and is read from the linux on hda6 (which i want to delete => i'll need to install freebsd bootloader?)
So, what do you suggest? (forgive my noobiness)

Thanks!


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## jb_fvwm2 (Mar 23, 2009)

I have no experience with Linux / Grub.
What I would do given my experience...
..........
backup any data on the extended partition.
install GAG (bootloader ) to cdr or Bootit (shareware windows
backup/bootloader) to C:\ 
Reformat the extended partition to UFS-2 (freebsd sysintall
CDR, or even BootIT (from its dropdown menu, although it
formats but does not put on a filesystem if you know how)
install BSD / (root) to at least 1gb
install BSD /tmp, /var , /usr to at least 30gb
If bootit or GAG are still on cdr, put them on the hard disk 
(windows or maybe a small partition for the former, you'd have
to read up well on every step of this suggestion.)
............
Each sentence above should probably be a paragraph.  No hours
available to rewrite it more illustratively.
That is all I am qualified to suggest.  Someone else may
have a more relevant example if you are using Linux a lot.


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## phoenix (Mar 23, 2009)

You can't install FreeBSD into an extended/logical partition.  You have to use a primary partition.  IOW, you can't install into anything with a number higher than 4 (hda1 through hda4 are primary partitions in Linux, hda5 and higher are extended/logical partitions).


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## jb_fvwm2 (Mar 23, 2009)

You can put / (root) on a primary partition and 2 of
the /tmp /var /usr in an extended partition (a Dos (vs Linux)
one, at least ).  I first ran BSD that way, but it was the early 5.0
and had stability issues--I do not know if that was due
to the "early 5.0" or to the extended partition (2 of the
four FS).  Maybe off-topic here.  
........
and I would not install to it for that reason...The kernel panics
here (_7) do not even require single-user reboot anymore.


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## tangram (Mar 26, 2009)

Kill the extended partition (you'll loose had4, hda5 and hda6) and install FreeBSD there. 

The thing is you have Grub on hda6 so you'll need to reinstall Grub (maybe use the Linux distro you have installed in hda2 to setup Grub).


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