formatting disk for FreeBSD : Detecting IDE Primary Master ... [Press F4 to skip]

[Ted Mittelstaedt]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org]On Behalf Of Wojciech Puchar
> Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2008 12:15 AM
> To: illoai at gmail.com
> Cc: freebsd-questions at freebsd.org; Chris Whitehouse
> Subject: Re: formatting disk for FreeBSD : Detecting IDE Primary Master
> ... [Press F4 to skip]
> 
> 
> >
> > In any case, I suppose the OP could just use a floppy
> > boot disk, like slackware's:
> > 
> http://slackware.mirrors.easynews.com/linux/slackware/slackware/is
> olinux/sbootmgr/
> > http://tinyurl.com/2evgaa
> > Which should bypass any (most) moronic bioses.
> >
> any. i use bootable CD for this. very easy to create, and you can fit 
> whole /boot easily.
> FreeBSD can use any IDE drive on any IDE controller,

This isn't true.  FreeBSD cannot use the CMD640 controller, as
that controller has a hardware bug that will corrupt the filesystem.
Unfortunately that controller was popular on Pentium 75/90/100 
motherboards.  The old wd disk driver contained a workaround for
this bug but the workaround was never carried forward into the
ata driver.

Ted