freebsd stable - Nov 2007 - installation problems of FreeBSD 7 beta 2 on Dell D610 (multiboot con solaris, linux, winxp)

I encountered some problems installing FreeBSD 7 beta 2 on my Dell
D610 laptop, on the original 60 gb hd; the hd is formatted as follows:
- primary 1, 15 gb, ntfs for Windows XP
- primary 2, 15 gb, solaris for Open Solaris
- primary 3, 10 gb, fat32 for FreeBSD
- extended, 20 gb, 3 partitions for linux

I tried to install FreeBSD many times, but after the geometry error
(the geometry is however correctly recognized), FDISK doesn't find any
partition and the space is shown as free, unpartitioned.

I tried to set the partition type for FreeBSD to FAT16, FAT32, FreeBSD
and I also reformatted the partition many times, but with no success.

have you any idea???

Thanks in advance.


PS

I wrote also to the italian mailing list gufi, without reply.

bye

---
Stefano Spinucci

Hi!

2007/11/27, Stefano Spinucci
<virgo977virgo@gmail.com>:
> I encountered some problems installing FreeBSD 7 beta 2 on my Dell
> D610 laptop, on the original 60 gb hd; the hd is formatted as follows:
> - primary 1, 15 gb, ntfs for Windows XP
> - primary 2, 15 gb, solaris for Open Solaris
> - primary 3, 10 gb, fat32 for FreeBSD
> - extended, 20 gb, 3 partitions for linux
>
> I tried to install FreeBSD many times, but after the geometry error
> (the geometry is however correctly recognized), FDISK doesn't find any
> partition and the space is shown as free, unpartitioned.
>
> I tried to set the partition type for FreeBSD to FAT16, FAT32, FreeBSD
> and I also reformatted the partition many times, but with no success.
>
> have you any idea???
Are you kidding?
If no, just read the handbook. And check the partition type for
FreeBSD. FAT[13][26] is for MustDie.

-- 
Dennis Melentyev

"Stefano Spinucci" wrote:
> I encountered some problems installing FreeBSD 7 beta 2 on my Dell
> D610 laptop, on the original 60 gb hd; the hd is formatted as follows:
> - primary 1, 15 gb, ntfs for Windows XP
> - primary 2, 15 gb, solaris for Open Solaris
> - primary 3, 10 gb, fat32 for FreeBSD
> - extended, 20 gb, 3 partitions for linux
> 
> I tried to install FreeBSD many times, but after the geometry error
> (the geometry is however correctly recognized), FDISK doesn't find any
> partition and the space is shown as free, unpartitioned.
> 
> I tried to set the partition type for FreeBSD to FAT16, FAT32, FreeBSD
> and I also reformatted the partition many times, but with no success.
> 
> have you any idea???
Stefano & stable@

Your symptoms seem likely laptop specific, so if you remain stuck,
later try mobile@

I saw similar installing 7.0-BETA3 on my Digital HiHote Ultra
2000 laptop: it recognised the 5G laptop disc, but did Not recognise
the 3 x FreeBSD-5.1-RELEASE boot partitions that work OK there.

So I thought, OK, abandon installing on an fdisk partition, install
on whole disk.  It went through partitioning, then failed to find
its file system.  5.1 was still intact & booted.  I assume it's my
laptop ATA interface, seen that problem before.  FreeBSD for old
hardware often needs extra instructions manually to loader to tell
WD/ATA (&/or ep0) to run in a more conservative mode.

I'll look for right syntax. eg maybe hw.ata.ata_dma=0 etc starting
in my http://www.berklix.com/~jhs/hardware/laptops/#loader.conf

/Soapbox:
	This frequent `FreeBSD defaults to need high end modern
	hardware' is bad for publicity, newbies who dont know where
	to look will tell friends: I gave up & went Linux.

	( For those who might say "buy high end", No! spare old
	laptop sufficient for Xterm + mp3 + LAN for stereo in living
	room, leaving main laptop free for more demanding things.
	Plus not all can afford latest, + conservation, green etc,
	...  just needs more generous install defaults. )

	FreeBSD has improved elsewhere though on old hardware: The
	same laptop that failed to go beyond 5.1 without losing
	ep0, now sees ep0 in 7.0-BETA3 install.
End Soapbox/

-- 
Julian Stacey. Munich Computer Consultant, BSD Unix C Linux. http://berklix.com
	Ihr Rauch = mein allergischer Kopfschmerz. Dump cigs 4 snuff.

> Stefano & stable@
> I saw similar installing 7.0-BETA3 on my Digital HiHote Ultra
...
> I'll look for right syntax. eg maybe hw.ata.ata_dma=0 etc starting
> in my http://www.berklix.com/~jhs/hardware/laptops/#loader.conf
Safe mode (Hit Key 3 after it asks for boot floppy 2nd time 
	(Im using floppy as my cd drive doesnt like my cd-rw media, just cd-r)
This sets hw.ata.ata_dma to 0, with this my laptop is now in middle
of a minimal install, reading distrib via a pcmcia ep0 ethernet.
Good luck.

-- 
Julian Stacey. Munich Computer Consultant, BSD Unix C Linux. http://berklix.com
	Ihr Rauch = mein allergischer Kopfschmerz. Dump cigs 4 snuff.

"Julian H. Stacey" wrote:
> "Julian H. Stacey" wrote:
> > > Stefano & stable@
> > > I saw similar installing 7.0-BETA3 on my Digital HiHote Ultra
> > ..
> > > I'll look for right syntax. eg maybe hw.ata.ata_dma=0 etc
starting
> > > in my http://www.berklix.com/~jhs/hardware/laptops/#loader.conf
> > 
> > Safe mode (Hit Key 3 after it asks for boot floppy 2nd time 
> > 	(Im using floppy as my cd drive doesnt like my cd-rw media, just
cd-r)
> > This sets hw.ata.ata_dma to 0, with this my laptop is now in middle
> > of a minimal install, reading distrib via a pcmcia ep0 ethernet.
> 
> Although that enables disk writes, Pcmcia ep0 runs slow, 23KB/s, timing
> out & install has died repeatedly.  I tried reducing commands used in
> 	bootsafekey of /sys/boot/forth/beastie.4th:
> 	http://www.berklix.com/~jhs/hardware/laptops/#bootsafekey
> By avoiding `3' & just using
> 	set hw.ata.ata_dma
> 	boot
> Still its a slow 23K. Still ep0 dies. Install fails.
7.0-BETA3 on Digital HiHote Ultra 2000 could not install via pcmcia ep0. 
I minimal installed from cdrom,
Booted multiuser with 3 = Safe Boot,
Edited /boot/loader.conf from
	hint.acpi.0.disabled=1
to
	# hint.acpi.0.disabled=1
	hw.ata.ata_dma=0
Rebooted.
Cdrom sysinstall-ed all distribution sets (except essential bin
& kernels) for a full native platform, & now making /usr/src/
It can mount the 5.1 partition & 5.1 can mount the 7.0,
so Stefano, do try hw.ata.ata_dma=0

Pcmcia ep0 ethernet remains unusable, ping 1.5 to 28 seconds & drop outs,
but that's an issue I'll pursue/ report on mobile@freebsd.org.
-- 
Julian Stacey. Munich Computer Consultant, BSD Unix C Linux. http://berklix.com
	Ihr Rauch = mein allergischer Kopfschmerz. Dump cigs 4 snuff.

On Nov 29, 2007 6:24 PM, Julian H. Stacey <jhs@berklix.org>
wrote:
> "Julian H. Stacey" wrote:
> > "Julian H. Stacey" wrote:
> > > > Stefano & stable@
> > > > I saw similar installing 7.0-BETA3 on my Digital HiHote
Ultra
> > > ..
> > > > I'll look for right syntax. eg maybe hw.ata.ata_dma=0
etc starting
> > > > in my
http://www.berklix.com/~jhs/hardware/laptops/#loader.conf
> > >
> > > Safe mode (Hit Key 3 after it asks for boot floppy 2nd time
> > >     (Im using floppy as my cd drive doesnt like my cd-rw media,
just cd-r)
> > > This sets hw.ata.ata_dma to 0, with this my laptop is now in
middle
> > > of a minimal install, reading distrib via a pcmcia ep0 ethernet.
> >
> > Although that enables disk writes, Pcmcia ep0 runs slow, 23KB/s,
timing
> > out & install has died repeatedly.  I tried reducing commands used
in
> >       bootsafekey of /sys/boot/forth/beastie.4th:
> >       http://www.berklix.com/~jhs/hardware/laptops/#bootsafekey
> > By avoiding `3' & just using
> >       set hw.ata.ata_dma
> >       boot
> > Still its a slow 23K. Still ep0 dies. Install fails.
>
> 7.0-BETA3 on Digital HiHote Ultra 2000 could not install via pcmcia ep0.
> I minimal installed from cdrom,
> Booted multiuser with 3 = Safe Boot,
> Edited /boot/loader.conf from
>         hint.acpi.0.disabled=1
> to
>         # hint.acpi.0.disabled=1
>         hw.ata.ata_dma=0
> Rebooted.
> Cdrom sysinstall-ed all distribution sets (except essential bin
> & kernels) for a full native platform, & now making /usr/src/
> It can mount the 5.1 partition & 5.1 can mount the 7.0,
> so Stefano, do try hw.ata.ata_dma=0
>
> Pcmcia ep0 ethernet remains unusable, ping 1.5 to 28 seconds & drop
outs,
> but that's an issue I'll pursue/ report on mobile@freebsd.org.
>
> --
> Julian Stacey. Munich Computer Consultant, BSD Unix C Linux.
http://berklix.com
>         Ihr Rauch = mein allergischer Kopfschmerz. Dump cigs 4 snuff.
>
I downloaded FreeBSD beta 4 and I did some tests.

I booted with 3... no success

I booted with 6 and set manually  hw.ata.ata_dma=0... no success

looking at boot messages I see many errors on Ad0 as follows:

the first error message
Ad0: FAILURE - READ STATUS=59 <READY,DSC,DQR,ERROR> error=4
<ABORTED>
LBA=117210237

the following errors there are similar, with some little differences
- the number after LBA
- READ becomes READ_MUL
- FAILURE becomes TIMEOUT

after all those errors the installation starts, I always see the
geometry error, the geometry is correctly recognized, the disk is
shown empty and, because I can't erase the full hd destroying other os
installed, I'm not able to install Freebsd.

last version of linux, solaris, opensolaris and windows xp installed
without problems, but with FreeBSD I have no luck.

thanks to those who helped me, but I'm still waiting for some other
ideas to have my partition recognized...

bye

---
Stefano Spinucci