Hi,


I just installed OpenBSD on a i386 from cd41.iso as
described in the FAQ, chapter 4.

When I restart the system from the CD all OpenBSD partitions
show up properly and I can chroot into /mnt after I mounted
them.

However, Grub refuses to recognize any of the OpenBSD
partitions. A Linux resides on the same disk that cannot
mount any of these partitions either.

Grub's error messages are

  grub> root (hd1,^I
   Possible partitions are:
     Partition num: 0,  Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83
     Partition num: 1,  Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x82
     Partition num: 4,  Filesystem type is ext2fs, partition type 0x83
     Partition num: 5,  No BSD sub-partition found, partition type 0xa6
     Partition num: 6,  Filesystem type unknown, partition type 0x8e

  grub> root (hd1,5,a)

  Error 5: Partition table invalid or corrupt

  grub> rootnoverify (hd1,5,a)

  grub> cat /

  Error 17: Cannot mount selected partition

Here is a `sfdisk' (Linux) output:

  /dev/hdb1 : start=        1, size=    32255, Id=83
  /dev/hdb2 : start=    32256, size=  2096640, Id=82
  /dev/hdb3 : start=  2128896, size=117974304, Id= 5
  /dev/hdb4 : start=        0, size=        0, Id= 0
  /dev/hdb5 : start=  2128897, size=  4194287, Id=83
  /dev/hdb6 : start=  6323185, size= 37748591, Id=a6, bootable
  /dev/hdb7 : start= 44071777, size= 76031423, Id=8e

And here is what I entered into `disklabel':

          start       size     mountpoint
  wd1a   6323185     524159    /
  wd1b   6847344     524160    (swap)
  wd1d   7371504     524160    /tmp
  wd1e   7895664   12582864    /usr
  wd1f  20478528    8388576    /home

_All_ quantities are in sectors.

Could someone please enlighten me

  - where disklabel stores the partition information
    (The mountpoint information appears in /tmp/fdisk.wd1),
  - where Grub expects to find it,
  - what further goes wrong here?

Thanks in advance,

Bertram


-- 
Bertram Scharpf
Stuttgart, ...
[ message continues ]

Hi again,


First of all thanks to the off-list responders. I already
considered the chainloader option but as I installed no
bootloader this probably would not work.

I examined the Grub source code to find out where it looks
for BSD partitions. I found there is a sector containing the
BSD magic label and appropriate partitioning info. It's
sector 1, the second one on the disk == the first in slice
/dev/hdb1 or (hd1,0), respectively.

Arrgh!

Sectors 6323185 and 6323186 are still untouched. I tried to
use the 'b' command in 'disklabel -E ..' but nothing went
better. I dd'ed sector 1 to 6323186 and voila - there they
are. Could this be the correct way that I first have to
damage another partition and then manually have to move a
sector?

When booting this system I run into the next problem:

  panic: /boot too old: upgrade!

Therefore I would like to try to install a bootloader and
chainload it. But with a 'disklabel' that overwrites
existing partitions?

Do I have to get used to struggle with such fundamental
problems when I proceed with OpenBSD?

Thank for reading so far,

Bertram


--
Bertram Scharpf
Stuttgart, Deutschland/Germany
http://www.bertram-scharpf.de

[ message continues ]

Hi,

I don't quite understand what you're doing? Are you looking for a
dual-boot with linux via grub?

If so, have a look at

www.aei.mpg.de/~pau/zen_process_obsd.html

Read it in detail.

If not, just forget this mail.

Cheers,

Pau


[ message continues ]

Hi,


Yes. I have a Linux box here with Grub. Admittedly the first
hard disk contains a Windows that gets used sometimes by
other persons. What else should I do? Buy another machine
while I have unused disk space here? Migrate back to Windows

This is exactly what I did.

The first difference appears while partitioning. I quote the document
you told me I should have a look at:

  Here is the partition information you chose:

  Disk: wd0       geometry: 969/128/63 [7814016 Sectors]
   #: id    C   H  S -    C   H  S [       start:      size   ]
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
  ..
  *2: A6  304 103  1 -  968  25 63 [     2457945:     5349645 ] OpenBSD
  ..
  ...
  Treating sectors 2457945-7807590 as the OpenBSD portion of the disk.
  You can use the 'b' command to change this.

When I run the installation this reads:

  Treating sectors 63-120103200 as the OpenBSD portion of the disk.
                  ^^^^
  You can use the 'b' command to change this.

Unfortunately, when I use the 'b' command, this won't
change. The partition table is written to sector 1. Not 63.
Not 64. Not 6323185. Not 6323186. I not even find a way to
display that message again after I changed the portion.
The document you pointed to doesn't mention a command to
display what the portion is.

I tried it several times. I booted the CD, ran
disklabel/install/..., booted linux, dd|od'ed the sectors
(there's no od on the CD), re-booted the CD, ...

Yes, I do read documentation and I read it in detail. I
still will be glad if you point me to some new information.
Telling me to read again and again the same doesn't make the
disklabel command behave different. Please do you read the
reports I post in detail.


-- 
Bertram Scharpf
Stuttgart, Deutschland/Germany
http://www.bertram-scharpf.de

[ message continues ]

is it a recent grub? if you're reading grub source I will assume you
know more about it than I do, but am writing this on a box which boots
debian/openbsd/xp without problems, from grub installed circa 6 months
ago. I certainly did not dd any sectors around. I can send you my grub
conf when I reboot next.

mike

[ message continues ]

I am writing this from a dual-boot system with linux only and I never
had your problem.


[ message continues ]

I think this is your problem -- the OpenBSD partition needs to be a
primary partition (hda1-hda4 in Linux terminology, or (hd0,1) -
(hd0,3) in GRUB language, and you have it as an extended partition
(hdb6).  This is not supported.  Reallocated your fdisk partitions so
the OpenBSD partition is a primary partition and reinstall (you may
have to resize your extended partition, ID=5, to make room).

Andrew

[ message continues ]

indeed...

you seem not to have read the site I pointed to previously.

Don't say you have read it if you didn't. The information is there.

Do what Andrew says and tag it as A6; i.e. "openbsd" from the linux fdisk

This is *also* written in the web page


[ message continues ]

Hi,


Those @#$!& extended partitions! It's really time for me to
get rid of that kind of programming style.

I tried it out on another machine where I had a free primary
partition. Hoolay--it boots! Moving partitions around on the
machine described above will take some time but I will try
it in any case and I will report.

Thanks a lot for your patience when I became fretful.

Bertram


-- 
Bertram Scharpf
Stuttgart, Deutschland/Germany
http://www.bertram-scharpf.de

[ message continues ]

> Thanks a lot for your patience when I became fretful.

I also become very usually fretful when something that SHOULD be
working is as stubborn as to refuse to do it. I know it. Oh, yes...
and how...

glad to read that it worked for you!

Pau


[ message continues ]

Hi,


I shuffled the OpenBSD partition to the primary section in
front and --- it works!

Phew!

Bertram


-- 
Bertram Scharpf
Stuttgart, Deutschland/Germany
http://www.bertram-scharpf.de

[ message continues ]