Installing FreeBSD 2.0 On Virtualbox - Revision history

Jnc: +Cat

2023-03-26T21:39:17Z

+Cat

Jnc: Add size+placing to error screen image

2023-03-21T00:48:08Z

Add size+placing to error screen image

Mph94 at 05:11, 20 March 2023

2023-03-20T05:11:48Z

Mph94 at 04:27, 20 March 2023

2023-03-20T04:27:02Z

Mph94 at 04:26, 20 March 2023

2023-03-20T04:26:39Z

Mph94 at 04:23, 20 March 2023

2023-03-20T04:23:49Z

Mph94 at 02:45, 20 March 2023

2023-03-20T02:45:06Z

Mph94 at 02:27, 20 March 2023

2023-03-20T02:27:15Z

Mph94: PRELIMINARY VERSION -INCOMPLETE

2023-03-20T02:26:49Z

PRELIMINARY VERSION -INCOMPLETE

New page

'''!THIS PAGE IS NOT YET COMPLETE. DO NOT RELY ON IT UNTIL I REMOVE THIS NOTICE!'''
Notes:

I am not a professional, and this is likely to be the wrong way to do this. But it will get the job done.

NOTES:
1)because FreeBSD 2.0 doesn't understand the SCSI driver Virtualbox provides, this will require some sort of DOS.
2)This will involve multiple reboots and copying files from the CD to the DOS partition, which is extremely wasteful.
3)You will need to add a floppy controller to the VM, if you don't see it look for "i82078(floppy)" in the "add controller" drop-down.
4)You will need some sort of dos boot disk with some sort ATAPI driver configured so that you can read the CD-ROM.
5)Obviously you'll need a copy of FreeBSD 2.0. You can find that here: [https://archive.org/details/cdrom-freebsd-2.0-1 2.0] or a copy of [http://ftp-archive.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD-Archive/old-releases/i386/ISO-IMAGES/2.0.5/ 2.0.5]
----
Preparing to install
----
Step 1: create a VM, make sure the type is set to "FreeBSD (32-bit)". I recommend the following specs:
16mb to 32mb of ram
1.8gb hard disk (to be sure it can be read by DOS and BSD)
Disable audio,
Disable USB

Step 2:
Boot into DOS and create two partitions, a master partition to store BSD installation packages on and then an extended partition. If you're using FreeDOS, their fdisk will ask you if you want to use "large disk" support, that's incompatible so choose "no". Make the first partition large enough to fit packages and install files from the CD, but less than 504mb. 420mb is a safe number and usually the one I pick.

Step 3:
Reboot and format the DOS drive. You will be booting from DOS any time you need it so there is no need to specify "/s", just "format c:" will suffice.

Step 4: Assuming your CD-ROM drive is "D" (and that you have your FreeBSD iso attached) copy d:\tools\dos_tools\rawrite.exe to either your floppy drive or to your hard-drive. If you copy it to your hard drive you might want to change your PATH to "PATH=c:\;a:\" or similar.

Step 5:
Eject your DOS floppy and create two floppy images using Virtualbox. The first one should be named "FreeBSD-2.0-boot.img" and the second "FreeBSD-2.0-cpio.img". Use rawrite to copy them to the virtual floppy disk ("rawrite FILENAME a:") (TODO: upload and share my boot images).

Step 6:
copy the distribution folders to drive c, ideally using xcopy. eg: "xcopy /s /e bindist c:\bindist"
Do that for the following folders: BINDIST COMPAT1x DICT GAMES MANPAGES PROFLIBS SRCDIST. (command.com has a for loop but I don't know or trust it so I do them manually). Leave out XFREE86_ because it is unsupported in Virtualbox.

----
Installation:
----

Step 1:
Attach the FreeBSD 2.0 boot image to your virtual floppy drive and reboot. Taking a screenshot (HOSTKEY+e) to use for later reference never hurt nobody.

Step 2:
By this point the installation program was largely designed and would be unchanged for some twenty-odd years. If you installed FreeBSD in the 2000s or 2010s it will look largely familar to you,albeit with missing features. Pick "Install"

Step 3:
Pick "(F)disk" and disk 0
Pick W and write
Delete slice 2 and then select W
Edit slice 2 and replace it with a FreeBSD partition.
type "B" to write the bootmanager to the MBR
Q to return to the previous screen.

Step 4:
Pick Disklabel and disk 0
Partition the disk

create the root directory

It will tell you to type "W" to save changes to disk; do so.
type 'd' and delete partition 'f'. Then type "w" to save your changes.
Create the "a" partition by typing "e" and typing a. To avoid potential boot issues you probably want to make this disk smaller, I would advise making it 40mb to 60mb. You want it to begin under the 1024 cylinder if possible.
type "a" for "assign" and type /

b:edit 'b' and create a 64mb swap file, write, then a for assign.

c:edit the f slice and give it the rest of the disk space, write, then assign it /usr

When you're done, your screen ought to look similar to this:
[fdisk]
[back to diskspace editor]
Type 'p' to proceed and tell the installer that yes, we do want to proceed:
[installer]

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:39, 26 March 2023
Line 65:		Line 65:

	quit this and then tell the installer you're ready to proceed. If all goes well you should		quit this and then tell the installer you're ready to proceed. If all goes well you should
		+
		+	[[Category: UNIX Practical Guides]]

@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 )Obviously you'll need a copy of FreeBSD 2.0. You can find that here: [https://archive.org/details/cdrom-freebsd-2.0-1 2.0] or a copy of [http://ftp-archive.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD-Archive/old-releases/i386/ISO-IMAGES/2.0.5/ 2.0.5]
-)For whatever reason, Virtualbox does NOT like the way that FreeBSD resets the computer. You will frequently get a dialog box like this:
+[[File:Screenshot_2023-03-19_202151.png|thumb|400px|right|Virtualbox error message]]
-[[File:Screenshot_2023-03-19_202151.png]]
 ----
 Preparing to install

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 )For whatever reason, Virtualbox does NOT like the way that FreeBSD resets the computer. You will frequently get a dialog box like this:
 [[File:Screenshot_2023-03-19_202151.png]]
 whenever it tries to reboot.
 ----

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 )For whatever reason, Virtualbox does NOT like the way that FreeBSD resets the computer. You will frequently get a dialog box like this:
-[[File:Example.jpg]]
+[[File:Screenshot_2023-03-19_202151.png]]
 whenever it tries to reboot.
 ----

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 Preparing to install
 ----
 Step 1: create a VM, make sure the type is set to "FreeBSD (32-bit)". I recommend the following specs:
-mb to 32mb of ram
+* 16mb to 32mb of ram
-.8gb hard disk (to be sure it can be read by DOS and BSD)
+* At least two ide drives (1st drive 600mb to 4GB, 2nd drive 350MB to 512MB)
-Disable audio,
+* Disable audio,
-Disable USB
+* Disable USB
 Step 2:
@@ Line 38: / Line 38: @@
 Step 5:
-Eject your DOS floppy and create two floppy images using Virtualbox. The first one should be named "FreeBSD-2.0-boot.img" and the second "FreeBSD-2.0-cpio.img". Use rawrite to copy them to the virtual floppy disk ("rawrite FILENAME a:")  (TODO: upload and share my boot images).
+Eject your DOS floppy and create two floppy images using Virtualbox. The first one should be named "FreeBSD-2.0-boot.img" and the second "FreeBSD-2.0-cpio.img". Use rawrite to copy them to the virtual floppy disk ("rawrite FILENAME a:")
 Step 6:
@@ Line 56: / Line 56: @@
 Step 3:
 Pick "(F)disk" and disk 0
-Pick W and write
+Edit partition one and accept fdisks' suggestions. Write to disk when prompted, and be sure to type "b" to install the bootloader to the mbr.
 Step 4:
 Pick Disklabel and disk 0
-Partition the disk
+create the root directory by editing 'a', it's probably better to keep your root partition small to prevent boot loader/boot time confusion so pick a size under 300mb.
-create the root directory
+quit this and then tell the installer you're ready to proceed. If all goes well you should

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 NOTES:
 )because FreeBSD 2.0 doesn't understand the SCSI driver Virtualbox provides, this will require some sort of DOS.
 )This will involve multiple reboots and copying files from the CD to the DOS partition, which is extremely wasteful.
-)You will need to add a floppy controller to the VM, if you don't see it look for "i82078(floppy)" in the "add controller" drop-down.
+)This will involve multiple reboots and copying files from the CD to the DOS partition, which is extremely wasteful.
 )You will need some sort of dos boot disk with some sort ATAPI driver configured so that you can read the CD-ROM.
-)Obviously you'll need a copy of FreeBSD 2.0. You can find that here: [https://archive.org/details/cdrom-freebsd-2.0-1 2.0] or a copy of [http://ftp-archive.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD-Archive/old-releases/i386/ISO-IMAGES/2.0.5/ 2.0.5]
+)You will need to add a floppy controller to the VM, if you don't see it look for "i82078(floppy)" in the "add controller" drop-down.
 ----
 Preparing to install

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:27, 20 March 2023
Line 1:		Line 1:
	'''!THIS PAGE IS NOT YET COMPLETE. DO NOT RELY ON IT UNTIL I REMOVE THIS NOTICE!'''		'''!THIS PAGE IS NOT YET COMPLETE. DO NOT RELY ON IT UNTIL I REMOVE THIS NOTICE!'''
		+
	Notes:		Notes: