From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
Date: Fri,  9 Jan 1998 11:36:54 -0800
From: Eric Dorman eld@jewel.ucsd.edu
Subject: [9fans] Newbie Install Question
Topicbox-Message-UUID: 6fb835f4-eac8-11e9-9e20-41e7f4b1d025
Message-ID: <19980109193654.FcNS69DuWnQ-LiRHaKM4X-BaKAldQeM9l5ch2lj8BxM@z>

> From: Kevin McQuiggin <mcquiggi@sfu.ca>
> Date: Thu, 8 Jan 1998 12:44:55 -0800 (PST)

> I am using a single 50 MB HD for the trial. I repartitioned it into a
> single 5 MB DOS partition, to hold just COMMAND.COM etc and the \PLAN9
> directory. The other 45 MB is unallocated (no partition created). The
> DOS partition was formatted and had just IO.SYS, MSDOS.SYS, and
> COMMAND.COM on it.
> 
> When I run B, it whirls for a bit and then on the "system configuration"
> screen informs me that it cannot find an MBR or FAT partition on which
> to install the distribution. The MBR is there (the box booted on it) and
> as indicated there's 45 MB free for allocation.

This sounds like Plan9 doesn't like your disk.  There is some
variety in the implementation of older IDE disks that might
cause Plan9 to barf.  FreeBSD is pretty tolerant of these
weirdnesses, but it has had alot of development to make it
that way robust.

I found sometimes that booting DOS then booting B from the
floppies yielded mixed results; sometimes weird disk and
floppy problems.  Booting from floppy #1 in the pcdist
almost always works (sometimes weird IDE cdroms give trouble
though..)

> Any suggestions?

I'd try to beg, borrow, or steal a more recent disk for a test.
If Plan9 works with the same computer and the newer disk, then
it's probably your 50Mb that Plan9 doesn't like.

> I suppose I could try disabling the onboard disk controller and using an
> outboard IDE board. Any point?

The IDE boards mostly don't have much in the way of brains; I think
it's most likely the disk is too weird.
  
> Kevin
> mcquiggi@sfu.ca

Regards,

Eric Dorman
University of California at San Diego
edorman@ucsd.edu