I have downloaded Free BSD and I hope to install it very soon.
Is it possible to install on an logical partition?
Because this computer has open SUSE and Fedora 7. Both work fine. I want
to install Free BSD too on a logical partition.

Do you need a primary partition to install Free BSD?

What is the difference between Free BSD and Open BSD? I am clueless as to
BSD operating systems.
Your thoughts are very welcome.

As far as I know, you need a primary partition in order to install FreeBSD. This article has a good comparison of the BSDs.

Thanks reddazz for the reply.
There are so many BSD variants. I didn't know it. The thread you mentioned shows all the variants.
This is hell.
I thought only Free BSD and Open BSD were their releases.

Are you sure that it is necessary to have a primary partition? I could not find it on that thread.
I know Solaris needs a primary partition.

Almost all of the BSD platforms had to be installed in a primary partition. NetBSD can be installed in a logical partition and works like a charm.

Thanks Bsdunix and Kamoos for the replies.

I have made one primary partition to install Windows XP.

All the other partitions are logical ones.

I made one extended partition and created 6 or 7 logical partitions inside it to install different Linux distros including Free BSD.

My first hard drive is IDE one which is 200GB.
It works as primary master.

I have installed Windows XP and open SUSE 10.2. on it.
There is no space on this primary master hard drive.

I allocated 50GB to Windows XP[primary partition] and about 130GB to open SUSE.

I made a root partition, a home partition and a swap partition for open SUSE to run smoothly. Those 3 partitions took 130GB. As you see no more space left on the drive.


The second hard drive is also an IDE one.
It is 500GB. It works as secondary slave.

I have installed Fedora 7 on it.

I have several unused logical partition on this 500GB hard drive. I created them to install other Linux versions and Free BSD.

I have a swap partition of 3GB on the 200GB hard drive.

Though Fedora was installed on 500GB slave drive, it recognizes the swap partition. I think it will be a problem with swap partition with Free BSD. I have no experience in working with Free BSD.

Is it possible to convert one of those logical partition to a primary partition? Then I can install Free BSD without much hassle. I have Gparted program.


------------------------------------------------------------------
/dev/hdd7 15022 18941 31487368+ 83 Linux

/dev/hdd8 18942 30046 89200881 83 Linux

/dev/hdd9 30047 33971 31527531 83 Linux

/dev/hdd10 33972 45071 89160718+ 83 Linux

/dev/hdd11 45072 48991 31487368+ 83 Linux

/dev/hdd12 48992 60100 89233011 83 Linux
------------------------------------------------------------------
The above partitions are empty for installation of other distros. Is it possible to convert one of them to a primary partition?


Do you think that I must buy a new hard drive and insert in to the computer? Then I can make a primary partition on the new drive to install Free BSD.

At the moment I have only one primary partition.
I have installed Windows XP on the primary partition.
All the other partitions are logical ones.
Physically I have two hard drives inside the computer.
There is room to insert another drive.

I urge someone to look at my question.
I need your help to install Free BSD.

I would expect you would need to resize/delete a logical partition, then resize your extended partition before creating a primary partition. What you do is up to you. If you don't want to risk corrupting your hdd and having the inconvenience of restoring a backup then buy a new one. On the other hand if money is tight and your confident with your backup system then start chopping/changing/resizing your partitions.

A quick google shows that FreeBSD can indeed run from a logical partition if you use grub to chain load the FreeBSD loader. However the installer doesn't support it so some manual messing about will be required.

Thanks phil.d.g for taking time to reply me.

I am using GRUB. It is working fine.

When the computer starts, it gives me 3 choices.

1 open SUSE
2 Windows XP
3 Fedora 7

I am familiar with GRUB's chain loader.

Are you sure it is possible to install on a logical partition and manipulate with GRUB?

If the installation works on a logical partition, I can edit GRUB to recognize it.
What is the article you read on Google?
Could you please tell me the URL?

Like I said I've read that it is possible to run FreeBSD on a logical partition, but the installer doesn't support it. Plug "FreeBSD logical partition" into google

Thanks Phil.d.g
I think you are referring to the following article.

http://kerneltrap.org/node/2727
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Home » Forums » BSD » FreeBSD
installing freebsd 5.2.1 (or any bsd) into a logical partition of an extended partition
March 24, 2004 - 2:25am
Submitted by Anonymous on March 24, 2004 - 2:25am.
FreeBSD

is it still not possible to install freebsd (or ant other bsd for that matter) into a logical partition within an extended partion ( the ones that linux labels /dev/hda5, /dev/hda6 etc etc )

usign grub to chainlad should at least start the loaders if they are installed to teh beginning of these logical partitions.

as i understand it, there is no real problem, its just that the installers don't do it.
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The person has not given much details. I know you should not install bootloader onto the MBR. When you install other Linux distros, bootloader should be on the root partition.

If you put the bootloader onto the MBR, you are in trouble.
I guess it is the same in Free BSD.

You should install bootloader onto the root partition.Afterwards, you should configure the GRUB.
In GRUB, you will find a file named 'menu.lst'.
You should edit it to put other installed Linux distros.
I assume it is the same with Free BSD.

I think I will run into problems with the swap partition. Now I have a swap partition and it uses both Fedora 7 and open SUSE.
Your thoughts are welcome.

Mmmm ... Well, in theory FreeBSD can't run from a logical partition, but in the practice, it can, with grub as Gins said, with the chainloading technique, but you should do another stuff with that apart of the chainload thing, cuz' even you chainload the boot manager of FreeBSD, it will tell you that he can't be installed in a logical partition.

If i can remember (correct me someone plz if i'm wrong), you first should to install grub in a partition alone or in the MBR, ant then, install the diferrent O.S's in their partitions, with their own boot loaders, to finally do the last thing ... Use a technique that i saw in a blog (i can't remember which, but i'm sure a member of LQ do something like that) called "vanishing drive".
With that you could "hide" or "unhide" different partitions. With that you can say to grub that there's no primary partition of XP, or something like that, in that form you can install it in your HDD and run it with the chainload process.

I'm not sure if this is real way to do it, but it's something like that.

I Hope this was helpful to you, man.

Kaamos

How about the swap partition?
Now I have a swap partition and it works with both open SUSE and Fedora 7.
In the Linux world one swap partition will share all your distros.
I know for sure Solaris won't accept swap partition designed for Linux.

I don't think Free BSD will recognize the swap partition designed for Linux distros.
What do you think about the swap partition?

Without a swap partition, the system will go slow when you open a lot of web pages and your word processor.
I always open about 15 web pages and the word processor.

Mmm ... As far as i know, BSD's should recognize the swap partition you make for the other linux.
How much RAM do you have?

Nice page here: http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Linux+FreeBSD-3.html that explains how to share swap space between Linux and FreeBSD