Lost FreeBSD boot record (when installing Ubuntu)

[TomAmundsen]

So, I was finally forced to use Linux because of software for a class at school.

I installed Ubuntu, on the partition that used to hold Windows XP. Ubuntu's disk partitioning tool didn't recognize my FreeBSD partition - it said "unknown." I'm not sure if it's the fact that it was unknown, or if I didn't select a mount point for the FreeBSD partition (I don't think that could be the problem, since I didn't want to change anything about my FreeBSD partition). But, now when Ubuntu's GRUB bootloader comes up, I can't select FreeBSD.

The FreeBSD partition is still on my machine, I just can't boot to it. Does anyone know how to fix this?

[J65nko]

You google for GAG, download and install.

[TerryP]

You have to go into the advanced crap towards the end and tell it to installing GRUB into the Ubuntu / partition, in order to avoid that.

If you want to use GRUB, setting up the menu entry is easy, if you want to reinstall FreeBSDs boot loader; you'll have to install GRUB into Ubuntu's /, then boot off your FreeBSD install disks (or use GRUB to get to FreeBSD) and re-install the boot code via fdisk.


Which way are you wanting to go?


Edit: GAG as J65nko suggested, is also a great boot loader; I've used it for years.

[TomAmundsen]

Originally Posted by J65nko

You google for GAG, download and install.

OK. I did that. Now I can boot to FreeBSD, but not Ubuntu! When I try to boot Ubuntu, it says "Boot sector not found or invalid"

This is like some kind of sick joke...

[J65nko]

In 99% of this type of cases, GAG usually solves issues like this.
Maybe http://users.bigpond.net.au/hermanzone/p12.htm helps.

[phoenix]

I've always found it nicer/easier to use GRUB to dualboot between a Linux install and a FreeBSD install. The menu.lst entry for FreeBSD would look like:

title FreeBSD
root (hd0,0,a)
kernel /boot/loader

Simple as that.

hd0 means "first harddrive",
the ,0 means "first primary partition on drive" (slice in FreeBSD-speak),
and the ,a means "first sub-partition" (partition in FreeBSD-speak).

Adjust the values as needed.

You'll get the GRUB boot menu first, then the FreeBSD boot menu second.

[TomAmundsen]

Originally Posted by phoenix

I've always found it nicer/easier to use GRUB to dualboot between a Linux install and a FreeBSD install. The menu.lst entry for FreeBSD would look like:

title FreeBSD
root (hd0,0,a)
kernel /boot/loader

Simple as that.

hd0 means "first harddrive",
the ,0 means "first primary partition on drive" (slice in FreeBSD-speak),
and the ,a means "first sub-partition" (partition in FreeBSD-speak).

Adjust the values as needed.

You'll get the GRUB boot menu first, then the FreeBSD boot menu second.

Thank you so much!

I in fact found out this exact solution in parallel to your post. That is what got it working for me.