Subject: NetBSD 0.9 HD Partition Problems
To: None <netbsd-bugs@sun-lamp.cs.berkeley.edu>
From: Shao Ai Wu <m-sw2360@HAPPY.CS.NYU.EDU>
List: netbsd-bugs
Date: 01/18/1994 18:53:16
Hardware:
   Adeptec 1542B SCSI controller and Microplis 1598 hard disk,
   486DX2-66 256 K cache, 16 Mbyte RAM, AMI BIOS (April 4, 1993)

Subject:
   Installing NetBSD 0.9 using NetBSD 0.9 installation diskettes.

   Specifying the hard disk info. as:
      64 heads, 32 Sectors, 990 Cylinders (also tried 987 Cyl),
      offset 2048 sectors (the first partition).

Problems:
  1. If started with no *BSD paritions exist, but others.

     If answer "NO" to "Overwriting with DOS partition tables",
     the hard disk partition table is not updated.  "fdisk" from
     DOS shows the *BSD partition is still a fee space.

     If answer "YES" to that prompt, the partition table is trashed.
     "fdisk" from DOS shows only 24 Mbyte is actually allocated by
     NetBSD and everything else are destroyed.

     The same problem happens if I specify physical hard disk info.
     (15 heads, 1928-1 cylinders, 71 sectors per track).

  2. If there is a 400 Mbyte *BSD partition existed, and repartition
     it for 350 Mbyte.

     If answer "no" to "Overwriting with DOS partition tables",
     the hard disk partition table is not updated (same as above).
     BUT, IT WILL CONTINUELY FORMAT 400 MBYTE OF HARD DISK SPACE!!

     If answer "YES" to that prompt, the partition table is trashed.
     (same as above.)

Solution:
   Boot the system with NetBSD 0.9 Boot Disk.  When ask to insert
   the File System Disk #1, insert the File System Disk #1 from
   FreeBSD distribution, and partition the hard disk with FreeBSD
   disk.

   Halt the system as instructed.

   Boot the system with NetBSD 0.9 Boot Disk.  When ask to insert
   the File System Disk #1,

        DON'T PRESS <ENTER> KEY as you should, but insert the File
        System Disk #1 instead.  YES, you are repartition the hard
        disk.  Remember to specify the exact info you input to
        the FreeBSD partition hard disk.

        Answer "NO" to "overwriting with DOS partition tables".

        Follow the installation steps as instructed.  Everything
        will be FINE!

Shao Wu
m-sw2360@cs.nyu.edu

------------------------------------------------------------------------------