OpenBSD questions (please read)

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January 13th, 2002, 03:34 PM
cgkanchi

OpenBSD questions (please read)

I've finally decided to install OpenBSD on my system!
Just in case it's required, here's my system configuration:
AMD Athlon 1.1 gHz processor
256 MB SDRAM
A Riva TNT2 based video card
A Soltek 75 KAV board(Via chipset North Bridge-VIA KT-133A and SouthBridge-VIA VT82C686B) with onboard AC '97 sound.
A 20 GB IDE Hard Disk (Seagate) with three FAT32 partitions
(10GB+4GB+4GB) with me wanting to install OpenBSD on the last partition(E:).
and Windows XP Professional as my OS.
I'm not a total newbie to installing unix based OS's, having used a bit of linux. However, I have got used to RedHat's cool grahpical install, thus I do have a few reservations in going with OpenBSD's text based install. But Linux has just got way too bloated for my taste, thus my choice of OpenBSD.

I have a few questions before I jump in:
1. I've decided to download OpenBSD from the net. Can the OpenBSD installer read a FAT32 Partition?

2. OpenBSD claims to have binary compatiblilty with Linux and FreeBSD. Is this compatiblity reliable? And does it mean that I can download a Linux or FreeBSD package and use it out of the box?

3. Does OpenBSD come with a default window manager for X? If not, will the FreeBSD port of KDE work on OpenBSD?

4. I've always installed Linux with Win9x. Are there any common pitfalls that I should know about before installing it as a dual boot with an NT based OS?

5. Does OpenBSD have any issues with booting from a partition that is >1024th cylinder. If so, could anyone suggest a workaround?

I would really appreciate any and all answers to my questions, as I would love to use OpenBSD on my system.

Thanx in Advance,
cgkanchi
January 14th, 2002, 02:36 PM
Vorlin

Quote:

1. I've decided to download OpenBSD from the net. Can the OpenBSD installer read a FAT32 Partition?

Yes, it can read a fat32 partition, along with about 85 other types of disk partition types.

Quote:

2. OpenBSD claims to have binary compatiblilty with Linux and FreeBSD. Is this compatiblity reliable? And does it mean that I can download a Linux or FreeBSD package and use it out of the box?

I've found it fairly reliable when I had a MUD compiled under BSD, as well as various gnu tools. It's fairly good although I'm not sure if whatever you're trying to use would be usable "right out of the box" without any configuration specific to your OS.

Quote:

3. Does OpenBSD come with a default window manager for X? If not, will the FreeBSD port of KDE work on OpenBSD?

I believe it comes with fvwm, twm, and other window managers.

Quote:

4. I've always installed Linux with Win9x. Are there any common pitfalls that I should know about before installing it as a dual boot with an NT based OS?

I've never condoned this setup. Generally speaking, people stick to the same OS every time and very little use the other. I'd take linux/bsd and stick it on a junker machine (as it can actually run on this setup, unlike Windows) and that way, you'll be able to have both windows and linux up at the same time. If you can't do that, well, windows isn't known for playing nice with Linux on it's partition tables. I've seen some have no problems, and I've seen some hate life after they do a dual-boot. It's up to you but the problems are machine/hardware specific most of the time.

Quote:

5. Does OpenBSD have any issues with booting from a partition that is >1024th cylinder. If so, could anyone suggest a workaround?

Not sure on that one as stated before. I always put lilo in the MBR so it doesn't suffer that problem. It might've improved since then though.

Hope this helps some. If you have more specific questions, feel free to pm me. We'll get you hooked up somehow.
January 15th, 2002, 12:51 AM
VictorKaum

For a Linux and NT multiboot config, install NT an then install Linux on the free (unformated) partition of your choice.
Install Lilo in the first sector of the Linux partition (the superblock or boot sector) rather than in the MBR. If you load Lilo in the MBR you will overwrite NT loader. After installing Lilo you need to tie it to NT's boot loader by creating a menu item and a Linux boot sector. Linux boot sector: Use the DD command or something similar to do that call the file how you want for instance bootme.lnx and add the reference (create menu item) to it in the NT boot loader by editing the boot.ini file.
insert the following line after the common boot entries:
c:\bootme.lnx="Linux"

Here is a website with very good info about dual booting,
and complete info:
http://www.signalogic.com/tech_support/dualboot.html

check Microsoft tech support knowledge article: Q114841 to see how NT boots and to see the cylinder limitations.
January 15th, 2002, 06:55 AM
cgkanchi

Thanx for the replies guys,
But there's still a few things I need to know.
1) Can I download and install the FreeBSD version of KDE on OpenBSD? (the OpenBSD package is outdated and has many bugs) Or will I have to get the source and compile it?

2) That link that you posted is dead ViktorKaum.

Thanx,
cgkanchi
January 15th, 2002, 04:06 PM
Vorlin

VictorKaum's right about the lilo in the first sector. It's been so long since I've done a dual boot that I've almost forgotten about that.

As for your first question, go get the latest of KDE source and compile it. The configure script should be able to work (as configure is used by a good 95%+ of the open source community). You shouldn't have any problems.
January 15th, 2002, 07:45 PM
VictorKaum

Re: link

Quote:

Originally posted by cgkanchi

2) That link that you posted is dead ViktorKaum.

Sorry about that, I did not check if the link was still up...oops.
So you have to go with my info... (it is accurate too).

Or use another link:

Here's another link (they use another method than I described: I added Linux to the NT loader, they add NT to the linux loader)
http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/Linux/doc...boot-with-LILO

Another site with almost the same info:

http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/mini/M...th-LILO-3.html

;)
January 15th, 2002, 09:35 PM
iNViCTuS

When installing LILO, I actually do it quite the opposite in fact, I actually install LILO over the windows MBR.

Chances are, if you have >1024 cylinders, it will not give you a boot menu the first boot, but simply edit lilo.conf and change the kernel parameters from linear to lba32.

Then make sure to do a lilo -v (the -v to make sure it is successful) then simply follow the format for the other boot menu options. For example, it would look something like this:

Other=/dev/hda1
label=windoze
read-only
January 15th, 2002, 09:39 PM
iNViCTuS

As far as KDE goes, I have never tried it. I would just stick to the default window manager, I think it might be windowmaker.

I wouldn't bother with KDE, because openBSD is probably not a machine you will want to use for "every day" use, so it may be a waste of time.

However, if anyone nows or has the time to figure it out. I would like to know :)
January 15th, 2002, 09:52 PM
VictorKaum

Re: iNViCTuS

Quote:

Originally posted by iNViCTuS
When installing LILO, I actually do it quite the opposite in fact, I actually install LILO over the windows MBR.

This method is explained in more detail at the links I posted in the post above.
Basicly you can choose to use the NT loader or the Linux Loader. So iNViCTus and Vorlin's solutions to dualboot were also right and perhaps preferable above NT loader? :)