Dual-boot FreeNAS and Ubuntu

[Gruselgurke]

I would like to have a dual-boot setup on my NAS, its supposed to run FreeNAS most of the time but sometimes I will need to acess the files directly on the NAS so I installed Ubuntu 12.04.1 for that.
The disk is an 32GB SSD. I installed Ubunutu and then within Ubuntu I burned the FreeNAS 8.2 x64 image to another partition.
Thats how it looks at the moment (from fdisk -l):
Disk /dev/sda: 32.0 GB, 32017047552 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3892 cylinders, total 62533296 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 2048 21483519 10740736 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 21485566 22485567 500001 5 Extended
/dev/sda3 22487040 28827647 3170304 83 Linux
/dev/sda5 21485568 22485567 500000 82 Linux swap / Solaris

/dev/sda 1, 2 and 5 are part of Ubuntu, /dev/sda3 is where I told dd to burn the image.
Then I added a grub menu entry:
menuentry "FreeNAS" {
set root=(hd0,2)
}
but nothing happens when I choose this entry in the Grub menu. I tried hd0,3 aswell as I didn't know if partition 1 is 0 or 1 but that didn't work aswell. I guess I have to add more to that grub entry in order to get this working?
Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[survive]

Hi Gruselgurke,

That isn't really going to work....you can't just install the freenas image onto a partition...read the first couple of pages of the manual, the reason why is all explained in there. If you insist on dual booting & have FreeNAS installed properly just pull the USB key out of the computer and you should be able to boot whatever you want.

-Will

 

[Gruselgurke]

Well I don't have it on a USB key installed I want it on the internal SSD. Putting it on an USB would be really an emergency solution for me.
Would it be possible to install FreeNAS first and then Ubuntu? I read in several forums that it was possible but most explenations didn't really help me.
There was even a thread with dual booting XP and it was meant that this would be difficult but possible

 

[survive]

Hi Gruselgurke,

While it it technically possible, don't do it.

-Will

 

[Gruselgurke]

I see, in that case I'll just get a usb key for it.
Would I run into problem if I would use a partition on the SSD as a cache disk and would I even get a benefit from that?
The system has 8GB RAM.

 

[Gruselgurke]

Thats quite ignorant..
I don't "know it better" thats why I'm asking here. I don't want the system on a removable stick, I want it IN the system so no one can remove it by accident or on purpose. There are hundreds of reasons to not put (for my work very important) an opertaing system on a removable device...
If there is no other solution for me then I will have to do that but its the last solution I wanted to use so its an emergency solution for me.

 

[survive]

Hi Gruselgurke,

You must excuse us....it's generally pretty rare that somebody actually has a decent\proper reason for not wanting to install FreeNAS onto a USB key.

Depending on what your hardware is there are a number of ways to get FreeNAS onto flash without having a key hanging out the back of the case.....There are compact flash adapters\DOM drives that plug directly into a PATA port, or you could get a USB adapter that plugs into the 9 pin USB header on the board & gives you a proper USB port you can plug your thumb drive into.

-Will

 

[Gruselgurke]

The board has no pata board sadly but the internal usb connectors are a neat idea, I didn't know there were normal adapters for those.
Thanks for you answer!

 

[Stephens]

It IS nice, but the down side is when you upgrade and/or test, you can't just pop out the original flash drive and pop in a new one with the upgraded/test version.

 

[survive]

Hi Gruselgurke,

This is what I'm talking about:

http://www.addonics.com/products/ad5pusba.php

It's kind of hard to find them since the keywords you would use are so common. I've seen them at Newegg & Cyberguys.

-Will

 

[StephenFry]

Gruselgurke, the Embedded USB Adapter is a very elegant solution. It's what I was looking for, but couldn't find (quick enough) and decided to go with a PATA2CF converter. Works great for me.

Together with a friend I did build a kind-of dual-boot system. We have an SSD connected to one of the motherboard's SATA connectors, which has Linux on it. Then on the PATA connector, he has a CF card with FreeNAS.

At boot-time, he slams F12 and his boards BIOS gives the option of booting from Optical/PATA/SATA/Network/etc. He then picks the one he needs.

 

[Gruselgurke]

Thats what I will do I guess :)
Found such an adapter at my hardware shop, it was actually harder to find a USB 2.0 adpater than one for USB 3.0...
Thanks for all your help!