Some questions about installation of OpenBSD

[aleunix]

Some questions about installation of OpenBSD

The Linux+FreeBSD mini-HOWTO

The principles should be equally applicable to other systems bsd.

2.2 Drive and partition labelling in Linux and FreeBSD

If you have a Linux extended partition after your FreeBSD slice you're in for trouble, because most Linux kernels installation floppies are build without UFS support, they will not recognise the FreeBSD partitions inside the slice. What should have have been seen as (/dev/hda3 is the FreeBSD slice and /dev/hda4 is the Linux extended partition)

Partition check:
 hda: hda1 hda2 hda3 < hda5 hda6 hda7 hda8 > hda4 < hda9 hda10 >

is seen as:

Partition check:
 hda: hda1 hda2 hda3 hda4 < hda5 hda6 >

This can give you the wrong device assignment and cause the loss of data. My advice is to always put your FreeBSD slice after any Linux extended partitions, and do not change any logical partitions in your Linux extended partitions after installing FreeBSD! 

I would like put openbsd on a 3 primary partition (or slices in bsd) on hdd PATA.
The problem is that after i have Linux extended partitions.

Support Unix (UFS) and Free BSD (FFS) file systems on Linux

I have seen that i have support for ufs (however don't on default) but there isn't support for ffs.


Perhaps i have think a workaround for this problem but i'm not sure that is right.

I if don't put partitions bsd on /etc/fstab linux the problem is avoid?


Bye Ale

[ocicat]

Originally Posted by aleunix

I if don't put partitions bsd on /etc/fstab linux the problem is avoid?

Your question is not clear.

OpenBSD can only be installed on a primary MBR partition.

For more information see Section 4 of the FAQ:

http://openbsd.org/faq/faq4.html

[jggimi]

OpenBSD and FreeBSD were last joined together in 4.4BSD-Lite, in 1995.

For Linux users, the OpenBSD project has a Linux-specific installation document. Here's a link:

ftp://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/4..../INSTALL.linux

[aleunix]

I will try to be more clear.

In the OpenBSD: INSTALL.linux, the openbsd is placed at the end of the disc if it is behind an extend partition linux it's possible to have problems?

Originally Posted by jggimi

OpenBSD and FreeBSD were last joined together in 4.4BSD-Lite, in 1995.

....

Why on link i read 4.2BSD ?

[jggimi]

...it's possible to have problems?

OpenBSD must be installed in one of the four primary partitions. If by "behind" you are describing higher addressed LBA or higher C/H/S numbers, this should not matter.

Since you are planning to set up a multiboot system, back up your system before doing the installation. It is possible to make a mistake.

Why ... 4.2BSD?

The Fast File System (FFS) used in OpenBSD dates from that release of the Berkeley Software Distribution. It has nothing to do with OpenBSD release numbers, or the fact that OpenBSD is a fork of NetBSD and both NetBSD and FreeBSD were based on 4.4BSD-Lite.

[aleunix]

I would like install OpenBSD on my PATA hard drive:
Disco /dev/sdb: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 byte
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders
Units = cilindri of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x04448aae

Dispositivo Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb3 652 1020 2963992+ 83 Linux

Dispositivo Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb3 10458315 16386299 2963992+ 83 Linux

How is possible to avoid modify the Mbr?

[ocicat]

Originally Posted by aleunix

How is possible to avoid modify the Mbr?

Yes. You will need to answer "no" to the following question made during installation:

Do you want to use *all* of wd0 for OpenBSD? [no]

This is covered in Section 4.5.2 of the FAQ:

http://openbsd.org/faq/faq4.html#Disks

[aleunix]

Thanks.

When i install the system i can create a partition with mount point /data?

Is if possible, if i reinstall a system this partition remain don't touch?

[jggimi]

Keep in mind:

There are two levels of partitioning for OpenBSD:

MBR partitions (on MBR architectures)
Disklabel partitions.

One primary MBR partition is used for all space to be used by OpenBSD. Within that partition -- the area of the drive usable by OpenBSD -- you may have up to 16 disklabel partitions, specified by letter: "a" through "p". (Partition "c" is special, it is the entire physical drive.)

On OpenBSD, the fdisk(8) program is used to manage MBR partitions, and the disklabel(8) program is used to manage disklabels.

*IF* you do not move the MBR partition, and *IF* you do not damage or destroy the information in "/data", and *IF* you have not destroyed the disklabel or you have a backup of that disklabel, then the information in "/data" will still be good.

[ocicat]

Originally Posted by aleunix

When i install the system i can create a partition with mount point /data?

Yes, see the manpage for mount(8) for more information.

Is if possible, if i reinstall a system this partition remain don't touch?

installation will call newfs(80) on each identified partition. See Section 4.5.2 of the FAQ for more information:

http://openbsd.org/faq/faq4.html#Disks

Upgrading is not as destructive. See the following for more information.

http://openbsd.org/faq/upgrade43.html

As a newcomer to OpenBSD, you will save yourself a lot of time & future aggravation by taking the time to familiarize yourself with the entire contents of the FAQ.

[aleunix]

Yes you are right but the information on faq or man aren't always very clear (exspecially on man page where in general there isn't examples).

Before i have spoke of the reinstallation and not upgrade the system.

[aleunix]

Partition active
What's happens if non-specific OpenBSD partition as active in a multi-boot Linux?

Faq 4.5.2 - Setting up disks isn't clear for me.

[J65nko]

During the install OpenBSD will create a disklabel for non-OpenBSD partitions.

A Windows/DOS or FAT32 partition for example will get a label i or j. That way you can mount these labelled partitions in OpenBSD.

[aleunix]

Rephrase the question in a different way to try to be more clear.

What we haven't done is flagged the partition as active so the machine will boot OpenBSD on the next reboot:

  fdisk:*1> f 1
  Partition 1 marked active.
  fdisk:*1> p
  Disk: wd0       geometry: 2586/240/63 [39100320 Sectors]
  Offset: 0       Signature: 0xAA55
           Starting       Ending       LBA Info:
   #: id    C   H  S -    C   H  S [       start:      size   ]
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
   0: 0B    0   1  1 -  202 239 63 [          63:     3069297 ] Win95 FAT-32
  *1: A6  203   0  1 - 2585 239 63 [     3069360:    36030960 ] OpenBSD

What's happenend if i don't set the partition openbsd as active in a multi-boot system?

Can i start the same with a voice on grub linux? Or not?

[Dazhelpwiz]

Originally Posted by aleunix

Can i start the same with a voice on grub linux? Or not?

Im not sure what you mean here, but if its "Can grub boot OpenBSD?", the answer is yes.

You will need to chainload the bootloader tho.

[aleunix]

If in the example on Faq the partition OpenBSD isn't marked as active will be start windows?

[ocicat]

Originally Posted by aleunix

If in the example on Faq the partition OpenBSD isn't marked as active will be start windows?

I assume you are referring to the fdisk(8) output shown in Section 4.5.2 of the FAQ. Yes, the one FAT32 partition marked active implies execution will attempt to boot that partition whenever the system is next restarted.

If you read the manpage to fdisk(8), you will find that it is the Wintel specification which states that one partition is the maximum number which can be marked as active. The instructions executed in the boot sector will verify that only one partition is marked active before progressing to loading the kernel as specified in the PBR. If zero, or more than one partition are marked as active, an error message is displayed, & further execution is halted if this is the drive identified in the BIOS as being the primary bootable block device.

I suspect the observation you are wanting to confirm is that fdisk(8) can be used as a crude boot manager unto itself, & this is correct. By marking what partition is active, you are determining what partition will be used when booting at the next restart.

[aleunix]

Thanks.

[aleunix]

Yesterday I installed openbsd in my athlon single core!

I am glad.

The installation was easier than expected after the tests made in vmware and qemu, which further simplified because I converted a primary partition linux in openbsd (changing the id of the partition).

Remains the problem of how to use the resolution 1280*1024 (now i use the 1024*768).

Note:
I have not tried the audio but i will see later.

[nihonto]

Originally Posted by aleunix

... Remains the problem of how to use the resolution 1280*1024 (now i use the 1024*768).

I think you will have to build your own /etc/X11/xorg.conf. You can do so, using the command "X -configure" or "xorgconfig".

Please have a look at: http://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq11.html

And you should have a close look at this: http://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq11.html#amd64i386

Before this, you should know the right name of the driver of your graphics card. For example: In my Laptop (Asus M6Ne) I have an Ati Radeon Mobility 9700 card and the right driver is "ati".