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Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!yarrina.connect.com.au!warrane.connect.com.au!kralizec.zeta.org.au!not-for-mail From: bde@kralizec.zeta.org.au (Bruce Evans) Newsgroups: comp.os.386bsd.misc Subject: Re: FreeBSD 1.1.5.1 disk geometry problem...Help! Date: 18 Aug 1994 16:56:59 +1000 Organization: Kralizec Dialup Unix Sydney - +61-2-837-1183, v.32bis v.42bis Lines: 30 Message-ID: <32v0nr$3fk@kralizec.zeta.org.au> References: <32rl4m$397@cville-srv.wam.umd.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: kralizec.zeta.org.au In article <32rl4m$397@cville-srv.wam.umd.edu>, Garth H. Brantley <garthb@wam.umd.edu> wrote: > I am tryin to install FreeBSD 1.1.5.1 for the first time. I have >a P66 with 8mb and 810mb IDE drive with a PCI contoller. My hard drive >has 1572 cyln, 16 heads, 63 secotrs/track but the bios translates this to >786 cyln, 32 heads, 63 secotrs. This is neccesary for DOS to support >partitions that go past cyln 1024. When I set FreeBSD to 1572, 16, 63 >the computer hangs at boot saying "Missing Operating System". I found >this in the FAQ and it suggested that I use the same disk geometry that >DOS was using so I reinstalled FreeBSD and set it to 786, 32, 63. This >seems to work at first, but the error message "32 heads not supported, >resetting to 16 heads" keeps apearing and the system wont work. The FreeBSD-1.1.5 wd driver doesn't handle > 16 heads very well. I think it can handle it iff the BSD label is on cylinder 0, head < the (untranslated) value reset to (16 in your case) and sector < the translated value (63 in your case). This can be arranged by putting the BSD partition first and starting it early. Cylinder 0, head 1, sector 1 is a good place. That's where DOS would put its partition if it is first. The FreeBSD install may want to start start it on a cylinder boundary (cylinder 1) for bogus reasons. Use the untranslated values (1572, 16, 63) in the label. Actually, these are likely to be translated too. Ignore the error message about "32 heads not supported". The driver will use the wrong translation for reading the label, but this won't matter because the translations give the same (cyl, head, sector) for early sectors. Then the driver will use the correct translation specified in the label for all subsequent disk accesses. -- Bruce Evans bde@kralizec.zeta.org.au