From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Nov 15 21:20:08 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5AE4916A47C for ; Wed, 15 Nov 2006 21:20:08 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from keith@gnutux2.fsnet.co.uk) Received: from smtp1.freeserve.com (smtp1.wanadoo.co.uk [193.252.22.158]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C2E8B43E9D for ; Wed, 15 Nov 2006 21:17:04 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from keith@gnutux2.fsnet.co.uk) Received: from me-wanadoo.net (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by mwinf3006.me.freeserve.com (SMTP Server) with ESMTP id 671FF1C00087; Wed, 15 Nov 2006 22:17:00 +0100 (CET) Received: from COMPAQ (modem-4037.chameleon.dialup.pol.co.uk [217.134.95.197]) by mwinf3006.me.freeserve.com (SMTP Server) with SMTP id D4B161C00085; Wed, 15 Nov 2006 22:16:56 +0100 (CET) X-ME-UUID: 20061115211656871.D4B161C00085@mwinf3006.me.freeserve.com Message-ID: <001101c708fb$54733b80$c55f86d9@COMPAQ> From: "Keith McKenzie" To: References: <20061113225727.36E0716A589@hub.freebsd.org> Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:55:32 -0000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1"; reply-type=original Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2869 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2962 Cc: a.brancatelli.mail@sara.it Subject: Re: Boot from CD (Digest, Vol 156, Issue 6 0, msg 12) X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2006 21:20:08 -0000 Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2006 21:49 From: Nils Vogels Subject: Re: Boot from CD (this time in ASCII :) ) a.brancatelli.mail@sara.it wrote on 13-11-2006 16:28: > Now my question is this: how do the kernel know where to search the fstab > (considered that the fstab says where to find the /etc)? I mean: I suppose > I have to put on the CDROM an exact /etc/fstab for that installation?? Or > this could be avoided? Also because I may need to edit the fstab for the > machine without having to reburn the CD? so what? Or maybe the kernel can > actually just be read from the CD and then everything else from the ( SAN > | > local ) drive? Am I missing something? > Have a look at the following manpages: boot(8) loader(8) This explains the FreeBSD startup system. In short, you tell the loader which kernel to boot, and you tell the kernel where the root filesystem is. The root fileystem is considered to contain instructions on how to proceed from there. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I agree with taking a look at the man pages, but I think what you are looking for is creating the actual CD image - what I have managed to do, using FreeSBIE 1.1 as a base, is to create my own image and burn it to disk. the following is the incantation:- mkisofs -b boot/cdboot -no-emul-boot -c boot/cat -J -r -ldots -l -L -o my.iso Note 1: cdboot is a file in the boot directory Note 2: fstab => /dev/acd0 / cd9660 ro 0 0 You can change the entry in fstab to boot whatever partition you like, as long as it is / (I am not an expert, but it worked for me - I am still experimenting.) HTH Keith