From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Jul 8 18:28:12 2010 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6EEE1106566C for ; Thu, 8 Jul 2010 18:28:12 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from mi+thun@aldan.algebra.com) Received: from mail2.timeinc.net (mail2.timeinc.net [64.236.74.30]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2D0998FC1A for ; Thu, 8 Jul 2010 18:28:11 +0000 (UTC) Received: from mail.timeinc.net (mail.timeinc.net [64.12.55.166]) by mail2.timeinc.net (8.13.8/8.13.8) with ESMTP id o68IS98F018033 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NO); Thu, 8 Jul 2010 14:28:10 -0400 Received: from ws-mteterin.dev.pathfinder.com (ws-mteterin.dev.pathfinder.com [209.251.223.173]) by mail.timeinc.net (8.13.8/8.13.8) with SMTP id o68IS93Y018965; Thu, 8 Jul 2010 14:28:09 -0400 Message-ID: <4C3618B9.8010202@aldan.algebra.com> Date: Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:28:09 -0400 From: "Mikhail T." Organization: Virtual Estates, Inc. User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; uk; rv:1.9.1.10) Gecko/20100512 Lightning/1.0b1 Thunderbird/3.0.5 MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Jeremy Chadwick References: <4C34C5DE.7040007@aldan.algebra.com> <4C34CA31.7010804@aldan.algebra.com> <4C34E39A.7090905@aldan.algebra.com> <20100708135353.GA43460@icarus.home.lan> <4C35E9D4.8080007@aldan.algebra.com> <20100708164022.GA46433@icarus.home.lan> In-Reply-To: <20100708164022.GA46433@icarus.home.lan> X-Mailman-Approved-At: Mon, 12 Jul 2010 11:34:17 +0000 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.5 Cc: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Subject: Re: net-booting the install disks (Re: 8.x grudges) X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:28:12 -0000 08.07.2010 12:40, Jeremy Chadwick написав(ла): >>> set vfs.root.mountfrom="ufs:/dev/md0" >>> > >boot >>> >> > Yes, that works... It just should not be necessary. >> > Okay, so let me get this straight. First the complaint was that you had > to modify loader.conf, which involved extracting the CD image, editing > the file, yadda yadda. Now that you've been shown you don't have to > edit loader.conf, the complaint is "it shouldn't be necessary".:-) > No, I initially complained, that I had to fiddle with loader's options at boot-time (item 8 -- instead of setting mountfrom, I set init to sysinstall -- don't recall the exact syntax). You then claimed, that you /can't reproduce/ my problem -- and referred me to your instructions (nice ones, BTW, even for those, who don't need serial-port install), where you explain, how to perform the install via netboot. I pointed out, that your recipe is not a valid counter-example, because -- instead of fiddling with loader's options at boot-time, you fiddle with the loader.conf (and have to extract the entire CD/DVD-image to do that one-line change). One way or the other, some -- very minor -- manual changes are required... It is, of course, an accepted fact, that installing (or upgrading) an OS would require fiddling, but this particular little aspect can be eliminated, I think... > The bottom line: the PXE booting framework in FreeBSD could be improved. > Even Randi would agree with this point, I think. I perfectly understand -- and am not complaining -- about substantial work not done in any particular area. It is the little things, that could've been done with negligible /marginal/ cost, that are my target. RedHat's "kickstart " can do an entire install based on pre-configured rules. Implementing something like that for FreeBSD would, probably, take quite a bit of effort. But being able to just boot straight into install from a CD (or CD-image) across the LAN doesn't seem very complicated, considering, how close we already are... Yes, it is important to me. No, I can not do it myself. I do, what I can in my area of expertise. If this area is not being improved for lack of time/resources, then fine... But I don't think, that's the case, for it seems to me, that the developers, who can do this little improvement, simply don't see a need for it. Yours, -mi