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Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Path: sserve!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!nexus.coast.net!simtel!noc.netcom.net!news.sprintlink.net!cam.news.pipex.net!pipex!soap.news.pipex.net!pipex!edi.news.pipex.net!pipex!swrinde!howland.reston.ans.net!xlink.net!rz.uni-karlsruhe.de!news.uni-stuttgart.de!news.belwue.de!News.Uni-Marburg.DE!news.th-darmstadt.de!hrz-ws11.hrz.uni-kassel.de!phase23!citylink.dinoex.sub.org!peter From: peter@citylink.dinoex.sub.org (Peter Much) Subject: Re: Running multiple versions of FreeBSD Organization: Buero fuer Sektenforschung und Qualitaetspruefung in der Esoterik Message-ID: <DAFrxw.Cpp@citylink.dinoex.sub.org> References: <3s1d39$piq@news.millcomm.com> Date: Mon, 19 Jun 1995 20:08:20 GMT Lines: 37 In article <3s1d39$piq@news.millcomm.com>, John Nistler <nistler@millcomm.com> wrote: >What configuration of disk drives and partitions is best if you want to run multiple versions of FreeBSD? > >Like 1.1 2.0 and 2.0.5 or maybe just 2.0 and 2.0.5? > >I tried to make multiple FreeBSD DOS partitions on a single drive, but the install program wouldn't let me. This is *very* difficult. It seems easy to boot multiple FreeBSD instal- lations from different disks, but not from the same. There is no possibility at all to do such from the install program, You have to play around with fdisk and disklabel by Yourself. I wanted to boot FreeBSD and NetBSD both from my first disk, and it was TERRIBLE. First, You need to recompile one of the systems to use another partition ID (they cannot both use "a5", that would intermix). This means to (find and) change that ID in multiple header files and some assembler code, then rebuilding the bootcode, disklabel, fdisk, and the kernel. Then You should create new install-disks with these changes incorporated... Then, You need two different disklabels on that drive. This is absolute horror, because they will cross-reference each other by accident all the time. So You will need some tool to erase the complete disk from time to time to get back to a defined state before retrying. This all had a taste like solving a magic-cube... Summary: If You aren't quite good in understanding about disk geometry, about boot sequence & how disklabels work, about over-all program logic, and the like, then don't try it. And if You are quite good, it's still lots of work. Peter -- Write to: Peter Much * Koelnische Str. 22 * D-34117 Kassel * +49-561-774961 peter@citylink.dinoex.sub.org much@hrz.uni-kassel.de p.much@asco.nev.sub.de