[php111]

hi everyone. i currently do not have a pc but might get one soon. it will be pre installed with windows. my questions are how do i tri boot and partiton with windows fedora linux and freebsd?

[Strog]

If Windows is preinstalled then it will likely be using the entire hard drive. You'll want to make some free space to make room enough for FreeBSD/Fedora. I usually run qparted from my knoppix livecd to resize a Windows partition. Of course you could install an extra hard drive to get more free space too. :wink:

You are allowed 4 primary partitions and 1 extended partition (which can be further sub-divided) on a single drive. Windows will be using a primary partition and there could be another primary partition being used for a utility partition depending on the vendor you buy your computer from. That leaves 2 primary partitions plus the extended partition for FreeBSD and Fedora. FreeBSD uses a primary partition and sub-divides it from there (calls the primary partition a slice and partitions for the smaller). Linux uses Primary or Extended partition. I'd resize the drive for free space, put FreeBSD on next and use the remaining space for Fedora.

Next you'll need a bootloader that can boot Windows/FreeBSD/Linux. Grub is a great choice since it's very flexible and powerful. GAG bootloader (http://gag.sf.net) is quick and easy if you like that. :smile:

[php111]

If Windows is preinstalled then it will likely be using the entire hard drive. You'll want to make some free space to make room enough for FreeBSD/Fedora. I usually run qparted from my knoppix livecd to resize a Windows partition. Of course you could install an extra hard drive to get more free space too. :wink:

You are allowed 4 primary partitions and 1 extended partition (which can be further sub-divided) on a single drive. Windows will be using a primary partition and there could be another primary partition being used for a utility partition depending on the vendor you buy your computer from. That leaves 2 primary partitions plus the extended partition for FreeBSD and Fedora. FreeBSD uses a primary partition and sub-divides it from there (calls the primary partition a slice and partitions for the smaller). Linux uses Primary or Extended partition. I'd resize the drive for free space, put FreeBSD on next and use the remaining space for Fedora.

Next you'll need a bootloader that can boot Windows/FreeBSD/Linux. Grub is a great choice since it's very flexible and powerful. GAG bootloader (http://gag.sf.net) is quick and easy if you like that. :smile:

Hi Strog. I sent you a PM. When i tried installing FreeBSD, I got to the point for Standard Installation and i could not select it because it didn't find a keyboard. I am not sure if it could find anything else cause i didn't get that far.

[Strog]

Hi Strog. I sent you a PM. When i tried installing FreeBSD, I got to the point for Standard Installation and i could not select it because it didn't find a keyboard. I am not sure if it could find anything else cause i didn't get that far.

I saw the PM last night. I took my wife out for our anniversary instead of answering it right then. :silly:


Does your BIOS have any options for Legacy USB or some other USB keyboard option(s)?


Most of your questions in the PM were about making space on the drive and drive letters. Is this your first experience with BSD/linux? If so then I'd recomend that you download Knoppix (http://www.knoppix.com/) live CD for linux and Freesbie (http://www.freesbie.org/) live CD for FreeBSD. They boot from CD (or DVD) and run in memory. There's no installation and don't need any drive space to worry about. This would be a good way to get familiar with the *nix ways of doing things. They are full installs ready to go so you can get a better idea of what you want before you start messing with your drive(s).

The nice thing about having Knoppix around is that it has a disk resizer (QTParted) on it when you are ready to make some room to install BSD and linux.

[php111]

I saw the PM last night. I took my wife out for our anniversary instead of answering it right then. :silly:


Does your BIOS have any options for Legacy USB or some other USB keyboard option(s)?


Most of your questions in the PM were about making space on the drive and drive letters. Is this your first experience with BSD/linux? If so then I'd recomend that you download Knoppix (http://www.knoppix.com/) live CD for linux and Freesbie (http://www.freesbie.org/) live CD for FreeBSD. They boot from CD (or DVD) and run in memory. There's no installation and don't need any drive space to worry about. This would be a good way to get familiar with the *nix ways of doing things. They are full installs ready to go so you can get a better idea of what you want before you start messing with your drive(s).

The nice thing about having Knoppix around is that it has a disk resizer (QTParted) on it when you are ready to make some room to install BSD and linux.

I don't know if my BIOS has USB. Would it be under the start up sequence? If it is then no i don't have it and i rather use the installation CD's. I can't burn anything. I mean i can burn but nothing will boot. I went through about 4 or 5 CD's trying to burn the Knoppix live CD.

[Kernel_Killer]

Depending on your BIOS type, you are look for an option that says something about "USB Keyboard Support", "USB Legacy Support" or "USB KB in DOS". In Award-Type BIOS'es, this option will be in Advanced Chipset Features. Hope this helps.

[php111]

Depending on your BIOS type, you are look for an option that says something about "USB Keyboard Support", "USB Legacy Support" or "USB KB in DOS". In Award-Type BIOS'es, this option will be in Advanced Chipset Features. Hope this helps.

Legacy? should that be enabled? If yes then i enabled it because it was disabled. I can't remember but i don't think it said USB Legacy, I think it just said Legacy i think that's all but can't remember. Would that recognize the keyboard in FreeBSD?

[Kernel_Killer]

Ok, just to backtrack a bit, and get some more info so we can better assist you. The keyboard you are using is in fact USB? Do you have a PS/2 port for a keyboard as well? Have you tried a PS/2 keyboard? What motherboard is your system using, or what make/model is your system?

From there, we should be able to help you out quite a bit more.

[php111]

Ok, just to backtrack a bit, and get some more info so we can better assist you. The keyboard you are using is in fact USB? Do you have a PS/2 port for a keyboard as well? Have you tried a PS/2 keyboard? What motherboard is your system using, or what make/model is your system?

From there, we should be able to help you out quite a bit more.

Hi, I just have a USB keyboard. I don't know the make of my motherboard because it is integrated. The name of my system is Lenovo it has Vista pre-installed.