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To: Ewald Jenisch <a@jenisch.at>
To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
References: <20050524130813.GA5576@aurora.oekb.co.at>
From: Lowell Gilbert <freebsd-questions-local@be-well.ilk.org>
Date: 24 May 2005 14:25:16 -0400
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Subject: Re: Installing on multiple machines
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Ewald Jenisch <a@jenisch.at> writes:

> I'd like to install 5.4 on several machines. The hardware is similar,
> but not exactly equal (different size HDs, different amount of
> memory).
> 
> Is there any way to install 5.4 on different machines with the same
> options, i.e. same set of packages, same settings (e.g. keyboard)
> etc. without manually going through the installation on every machine?
> 
> What I'm thinking of is something similar to the "kickstart" feature
> in Linux.
> 
> Is there anything similar under FreeBSD available?

I'm not much of an expert on FreeBSD installs, and I know even less
about Linux installs, but seeing that no one else has spoken up, I can
at least point you in a few relevant directions.

First of all, the standard install is scriptable to some extent.  The
manual for sysinstall(8) documents this capability.  There are some
messages in the archives of this list discussing people doing that. 

Another option is Freesbie, which has recently gained the ability to
install to hard disk.