Re: Upgrading Computer

[Kent Stewart]

Jonathan Arnold wrote:

I just aquired a pent 300 and was currently using a pent 200. But I used a
GENERIC kernel that came with the FreeBSD because I never new how to modify
it at the time. Because I never changed the Kernel can't I just switch the
hardrives and network cards? From reading the boot up process I don't think

I don't think there should be a problem, but I too will be experimenting with this. I just ordered a new mobo and CPU (nothing cutting edge - a 1.6
AMD) to replace my old dual 333mhz system, and that's exactly what I planned
to do. Reboot using the GENERIC kernel.

The only time this is important is when you go from a SMP mobo to a single cpu mobo. A system running an SMP kernel paniced when I tried this. The GENERIC kernel worked just fine. Commenting out the SMP features and rebuilding the kernel worked on the first boot. If you use cvsup to upgrade your systems, you want to have a current GENERIC before you try the upgrade.

BTW, assuming you have a reasonably fast Internet connection, rebuilding
the kernel is nothing to be that scared of. There's plenty of great resources,
and as long as you know how to select which kernel at boot time, and you
save your currently working one with a known name, you can always get back
up and running.

I start out by moving HDs and cables into the new system. It was never a problem except when I downgraded a system from 2-slow coppermines SMP kernel to a much faster AMD 1600+ XP. I moved the SMP mobo into a slower machine but only used 1 cpu. It wasn't a problem there either.

Two weeks ago that mobo finally died and I upgraded from a VP6 to an Gigabyte GA-7VAXP. Since both of them had onboard raid controllers, that wasn't a problem. The boot maintained the same order and I didn't have to worry about what was in /etc/fstab. For what I use the systems for, raid was never faster and I just use them as additional controllers with an HD on each.

Just to change subject a bit, one thing a lot of the resources say when you
want to select which kernel to boot is to hit some key besides enter at
the prompt. Then, at the "ok" prompt, just say "boot theotherkernel". But
when I try this, I get a "Kernel has already been loaded" message. I finally
figured out to do an "unload kernel" to get around this, but I was wondering
why I had to do this?

It depends on when you interrupt the boot. When it gets to the twirling cursor, you have loaded kernel and as you found out, you have to unload the old kernel first. If you interupt at the "-" prompt, you can say boot GENERIC but then some processes such as top won't work.

Kent

--
Kent Stewart
Richland, WA

http://users.owt.com/kstewart/index.html


To Unsubscribe: send mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message