From owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Mar 15 13:54:03 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 58C1B106566C for ; Sat, 15 Mar 2008 13:54:03 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from emz@norman-vivat.ru) Received: from ns.hq.norma.perm.ru (ns.hq.norma.perm.ru [86.109.196.3]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9FCA98FC16 for ; Sat, 15 Mar 2008 13:54:01 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from emz@norman-vivat.ru) Received: from [192.168.3.150] (drookie.norma.com [192.168.3.150]) (authenticated bits=0) by ns.hq.norma.perm.ru (8.14.2/8.13.8) with ESMTP id m2FDbXhe006346 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NO) for ; Sat, 15 Mar 2008 18:37:33 +0500 (YEKT) (envelope-from emz@norma.perm.ru) Message-ID: <47DBD11D.2080406@norma.perm.ru> Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2008 18:37:33 +0500 From: "Eugene M. Zheganin" User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.12 (Windows/20080213) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=KOI8-R; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Greylist: Sender succeeded SMTP AUTH authentication, not delayed by milter-greylist-2.0.2 (ns.hq.norma.perm.ru [192.168.3.1]); Sat, 15 Mar 2008 18:37:33 +0500 (YEKT) X-Virus-Scanned: ClamAV 0.92.1/6247/Sat Mar 15 17:20:59 2008 on ns.hq.norma.perm.ru X-Virus-Status: Clean X-Spam-Status: No hits=-103.1 bayes=0.0000 testhits ALL_TRUSTED=-1.8, AWL=1.142, BAYES_00=-2.599, DNS_FROM_RFC_ABUSE=0.2, USER_IN_WHITELIST=-100 autolearn=ham version=3.1.8 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.1.8 (2007-02-13) on ns.hq.norma.perm.ru X-Mailman-Approved-At: Sat, 15 Mar 2008 13:58:51 +0000 Subject: FreeBSD networked install X-BeenThere: freebsd-current@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussions about the use of FreeBSD-current List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2008 13:54:03 -0000 Hi. I want to ask if there will be some changes in the FreeBSD networked install procedure. The situation really needs to improve. Since the absence of a CDROM drive in a modern server environment seems to become common (and the legacy floppies are already dead), I think it's vital to have some other, non-CDROM methods of installing. Working methods. For example, during last halfyear I had 2 servers with sata-only drives, and without legacy IDE power jacks. The only methods of installing FreeBSD on these servers were: - to extract a hard drive and to install elsewhere - to get the SATA CDROM - to copy the 6.2 installation CD onto read-write fs and distribute it over the TFTP with the help of pxeboot (this method is unsuitable for newbies, because the sysinstall doesn't start automatically, because read-write fs really required, but mostly because it's undocumented now). I have and USB-CDROM, but http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=i386/115854 prevents me from using it (it really does crash on both servers). The same PR blocks me from using USB-Floppy. I tried to do the same TFTP trick using 7.0-RELEASE CD, but after loading kernel it says 'No init found' and panics. :/ Before the 5.3-RELEASE there was a great thing - a 'boot.flp' image. It was a fake 'floppy' image of 4MB. It was possible to extract its contents into the TFTP root and boot the FreeBSD via TFTP with no pain. After the 5.3-RELEASE the naming scheme of floppy images was reset, and 'boot.flp' became 1st booting floppy, but the real 'boot.flp' was completely wiped. Most of the googled howtos are built on this method, and I really think it was great and quick. I think this method needs to be restored. Or at least the CD/TFTP method needs to be fixed to stop requiring read-write NFS and use the mfsroot. Eugene.