From owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Nov 2 22:58:00 2004 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B41D316A4CE for ; Tue, 2 Nov 2004 22:58:00 +0000 (GMT) Received: from smtp2.via.net (smtp2.via.net [209.81.9.14]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5575643D1F for ; Tue, 2 Nov 2004 22:58:00 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from joe@via.net) Received: from mail.via.net (mail.via.net [209.81.9.12]) iA2Mti0d028664; Tue, 2 Nov 2004 14:57:56 -0800 (PST) Received: from [209.81.2.57] ([209.81.2.57]) by mail.via.net (8.12.9p1/8.12.7) with ESMTP id iA2MhdvV034622; Tue, 2 Nov 2004 14:43:39 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from joe@via.net) User-Agent: Microsoft-Entourage/10.1.6.040913.0 Date: Tue, 02 Nov 2004 14:43:44 -0700 From: joe mcguckin To: Doug White Message-ID: In-Reply-To: <20041102104503.D63929@carver.gumbysoft.com> Mime-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit X-Virus-Scanned: ClamAV 0.80/559/Thu Oct 28 06:08:33 2004 clamav-milter version 0.80j on smtp2.via.net X-Virus-Status: Clean cc: "'jtfbsd@jt.net.au'" cc: "Thyer, Matthew" cc: FreeBSD Subject: Re: USB Key Disk Boot X-BeenThere: freebsd-current@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 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: Tue, 02 Nov 2004 22:58:00 -0000 Doug, Thanks for the info. Most USB keys don't have a rw/ro switch. Is there a kernel flag you can set to tell FreeBSD that boot device is flash and that writes should be kept to a minimum? Can swap space be completely done away with? Thanks! Joe On 11/2/04 11:51 AM, "Doug White" wrote: > On Tue, 2 Nov 2004, joe mcguckin wrote: > >> You neglect to state the minimum size USB key for a standard FreeBSD >> install. > > My 4.X router at home has a fairly complete system install in 128MB. > Thats without any special pruning whatsover, just base+crypto. With some > work (minibsd, nanobsd, etc.), you can do alot better than that. > > Note that I creatd that from a second system and dd'd the flash card over > so UFS wouldnt' burn out the flash, but I suppose you could install direct > to it if you odn't plan on writing to the key afterward. UFS does exra > bad things to flash (think superblock updates), so you don't want to > leave it read/write for very long. > >> >> -joe >> >> >> On 11/2/04 12:07 AM, "Thyer, Matthew" >> wrote: >> >>> To install onto this device: >>> >>> Simply boot your installation media (CD) and do your installing on the >>> device >>> "da0" (the first SCSI device - this is likely to be your USB Key unless you >>> already have SCSI hard disk drives in your system). >>> >>> As for booting, you will have to understand how to change your BIOS to >>> ensure >>> the correct boot order. Many BIOS's will boot on these devices if you have >>> "USB-ZIP" as the first boot device. If that doesn't work try "USB-HDD" or >>> just "USB". >>> >>> If your Key device is too small to accommodate a minimal install of FreeBSD >>> then you will need to investigate the more embedded solutions such as >>> PicoBSD. >>> This is an advanced topic which will require an experienced UNIX specialist >>> to >>> implement. You may be able to find various how-to type procedures on the >>> Web >>> and the FreeBSD handbook should be very useful but this is not something for >>> the fainthearted. >>> >>> As for the booting process, it is described in the manual page for "boot". >>> >>> >>> Matthew Thyer Phone: +61 8 8259 7249 >>> Science Corporate Information Systems Fax: +61 8 8259 5537 >>> Defence Science and Technology Organisation, Edinburgh >>> PO Box 1500 EDINBURGH South Australia 5111 >>> >>> IMPORTANT: This email remains the property of the Australian Defence >>> Organisation and is subject to the jurisdiction of section 70 of the >>> CRIMES ACT 1914. If you have received this email in error, you are >>> requested to contact the sender and delete the email. >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> freebsd-current@freebsd.org mailing list >>> http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-current >>> To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-current-unsubscribe@freebsd.org" >>> >> >> -- Joe McGuckin ViaNet Communications 994 San Antonio Road Palo Alto, CA 94303 Phone: 650-213-1302 Cell: 650-207-0372 Fax: 650-969-2124