Subject: Can't boot without floppy
To: None <netbsd-help@NetBSD.ORG>
From: Dan Graaff <subscribed@de-net.org>
List: netbsd-help
Date: 07/25/2001 02:32:47
Hey all,

I'm sort of dabbling a bit.. after being a FreeBSD nut for about 6 years I
decided to branch out a bit, but not do something to wild, like give linux
another try.. so I decided to put NetBSD on my laptop. I have an Enpower
314...

Here's my problem... have the boot manager installed, and it boots Win ME by
default (I don't have alternatives to Word etc yet), and NetBSD as F2's
option.. so I press F1 or just wait, and Windows boots... ok cool.. so I
press F2 to boot NetBSD right? Wrong. I press F2 and I get a "3" printed
just under the boot manager, like it means something to me... so I yelled a
bit, then I booted back by doing a boot wd0:netbsd from the boot prompt of
the bootlap1.fs floppy. Boot back in, and fdisk -I.. just for fun.. reboot
"Missing Operating System" .. great.. so I boot back into NetBSD with a
floppy and reinstall the boot manager, and go into Windows.. I get the
pfdisk.exe program, and write down my disk geometry... go back in to NetBSD
with the floppy, fdisk -I and set the geometry.. but it was right already!
So, I tried a bunch of other stuff, like removing the 3rd partition -
hibernation partition for the laptop, that I never used anyway.. and nothing
fixes it.. I still get a nice frustrating "3" every time I press F2, or if I
set NetBSD to be the default OS, and wait 10 seconds at boot... then "3"

I'm about ready to sacrifice my laptop to the BSD god already... any ideas?

-Dan Graaff