GRUB and BSD in multi-boot systems

[Bret Busby]

Hello.

I have just subscribed to this list.

I have been trying to get PC-BSD 9.0 running on a multi-boot system, 
using GRUB 2.

I have an HP/Compaq NX5000 that I have been using to test the 
installation of PC-BSD. If I can get that booting and running, then I am 
hoping to try to install and run PC-BSD on a 64-bit system, as part of a 
multiboot system.

I had, in theory, successfully installed PC-BSD 9.0 on that system, 
along with Debian Linux 6.0.x.

The PC-BSD is, as required, installed into a primary partition.

PC-BSD is apparently, not automatically detected by GRUB 2.

I had followed the instructions for multiple booting with GRUB, for 
Pc-BSD 9.0, as published at 
ftp://ftp.pcbsd.org/pub/handbook/9.0/handbook_en_ver9.0.html#__RefHeading__24366_1715906691 
; section "4.5.3.2Adding PC-BSD to GRUB Version 2" of the PC-BSD 9.0
Handbook, which says

"
4.5.3.2Adding PC-BSD to GRUB Version 2

If the version number is higher than 1, the entry would look something 
like this:
title  PCBSD 9.0
root   (hd0,1,a)
kernel /boot/loader
boot
"

However, when I entered the appropriately modified version of that (to 
suit my settings) into the GRUB configuration file, when I would select 
the PC-BSD entry from the GRUB options, it would return an error message 
to the effect "Not found".

In posting a query to the PC-BSD mailing list, in the course of PC-BSD 
9.1 being developed (9.1 is now released);

"
Is PC-BSD 9.1 intended to include being able to be automatically
 detected by bootloaders that come with Linux, such as GRUB, as Linux
 installations are automatically detected by GRUB?

 As an example, on this computer, I have Windows 7 Professional, Ubuntu
 Linux, and Debian Linux 6, installed, and, the installation of GRUB,
 in the last installation of Linux, detects and offers as boot options,
 the operating systems previously installed. It does that
 automatically.

 I would use PC-BSD 9.0 but have not been able to get it detected by 
GRUB.

 I have Windows 7  and Debian Linux, installed on various systems, and
 have PC-BSD 9.0 installed on a 32 bit system, to try it, but, as I
 could not get it to work with GRUB, have not tried to install PC-BSD
 9.0 on a 64 bit system, as PC-BSD 9.0 has so far, been too problematic
 for me.

 I have not been aware thus far, of either PC-BSD 9.0 or 9.1, being
 able to be automatically detected by GRUB, and, if PC-BSD 9.0 would be
 automatically detected by GRUB, I would have been trialling, and,
 probably, using, it.

 If it is not already intended, I suggest that it would be conducive to
 expansion of the installation and use of PC-BSD.
"

To which, the response was

"
9.1 will not have this. We don't use any GRUB stuff here, and it's not
 included on our install media. So its really out of our scope if GRUB
 someday adds BSD auto-detection. Our boot-loader is BSD licensed and
 work fine with auto-detecting Windows and many Linuxes, but doesn't 
play as well with extended / logical partitions.
"

So, my questions are these.

Has anyone on this list, managed to get GRUB to find and boot BSD, 
especially PC-BSD, or its origin, FreeBSD, as part of a multi-boot 
system that includes Linux (and MS Windows)?

If so, what do I need to to, to get PC-BSD successfully booting via a 
GRUB multi-boot setup?

Are there any plans to get GRUB to automatically detect BSD 
(specifically, PC-BSD)?

The file system that I used when I installed PC-BSD 9.0, is ufs.

Thank you in anticipation.

--
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............

"So once you do know what the question actually is,
 you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
  Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
  "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
  A Trilogy In Four Parts",
  written by Douglas Adams,
  published by Pan Books, 1992
....................................................