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Date:      Sat, 18 Oct 1997 17:06:12 -0500 (CDT)
From:      "Matthew D. Fuller" <fullermd@futuresouth.com>
To:        evan <evan@invision.net>
Cc:        freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: FreeBSD Installation
Message-ID:  <Pine.BSF.3.96.971018163715.6251A-100000@shell.futuresouth.com>
In-Reply-To: <3448FDF6.10A58EB0@invision.net>

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On Sat, 18 Oct 1997, evan wrote:

>  Your information on your site went over my head and I would like a
> clear step by step procedure how to first download and then to install
> from disks FreeBSD?
> Thank You Very Much!

Let's see if I can condense this into a reasonable space...
First off, you'll need to figure out how to install.  You have a couple
normal options, and a few more esoteric options.  We'll stick with the
normal options here.  You can do it by CD-ROM, floppies, FTP, or a DOS
partition.
I'm just going to jet through this pretty quickly.  The specific URL on
the site is
http://www.freebsd.org/handbook/install.html
I think it's pretty clear, though the rest of the site may not be,
depending on how fluent you are in FreeBSD and computers in general.
Anyway, I woulnd NOT reccomend a floppy installation.  I did a floppy
install of 2.1.6, 2.2.1, and 2.2.2, and the only thinkg more aggravating
than the actual install was setting up the floppies beforehand.  You have
to get about 80 files (even for the minimum install), and move then onto
floppies, 6 per disk, in a certain subdirectory, and it's a BIG pain, even
though I wrote a C program to semi-automate it.  CD-ROM, you'd either need
to buy one from Walnut Creek, find a friend who has one, or find a
bookstore that carries 'The Complete FreeBSD', which includes the CD-ROM.
I'd recommend the FTP install, which requires you to have an internet
connection; either through a local Ethernet, or a dialup.  I have a
dislup, and FTP install may be rather slow, but it's pretty easy.

Now, for the actual installation:
First, download the boot floppy installation.  We'll assume that you're
installing 2.2.2-RELEASE.  The boot floppy you want is at:
ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/2.2.2-RELEASE/floppies/newer/boot.flp
If you're running a DOS machine at home, you'll also need to get 
ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/2.2.2-RELEASE/tools/fdimage.exe
Running DOS, go into the directory where these files are saved, and type
fdimage boot.flp a:
If you're running UNIX, you'll need to use:
dd if=boot.flp of=(whatever your floppy device is)

Then, you boot off the floppy, and follow the instructions.  You'll need
to create at least one partition for FreeBSD, as opposed to DOS.  Then,
you'll need to set up filesystems under that partition.  From what you've
said, it sounds like you don't have too much experience with UNIX, so
here's some guidelines:
50-100 MB for / (mount point /)
16-32 MB for swap (or however much RAM you have if more than 16 MB)
the rest for /usr
However, note that my first system running 2.1.6-RELEASE was a 104 MB
partition, 24 megs of swap, and all the rest just as /, so it all depends.
We'd have to know a little more about your drive size, space available,
and hardware to give much more info.
Anyway, just follow the directions for what to do, decide which
distributions you want to install, and go for it.

That's about all the generic advice I can give you.  Look through the
aforementioned:
http://www.freebsd.org/handbook/install.html
It may take a while to understand, but it's worth it.  Just keep banging
your head against it until it works.

Good luck!

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
|       FreeBSD; the way computers were meant to be       |
* "The only reason I'm burning my candle at both ends, is *
| that I haven't figured out how to light the middle yet."|
*    fullermd@futuresouth.com      :-}  MAtthew Fuller    *
|      http://keystone.westminster.edu/~fullermd          |
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*







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