From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Oct 19 23:17:28 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 D95B016A412 for ; Thu, 19 Oct 2006 23:17:28 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from d1945@sbcglobal.net) Received: from smtp102.sbc.mail.mud.yahoo.com (smtp102.sbc.mail.mud.yahoo.com [68.142.198.201]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with SMTP id 65D2D43D45 for ; Thu, 19 Oct 2006 23:17:28 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from d1945@sbcglobal.net) Received: (qmail 44334 invoked from network); 19 Oct 2006 23:17:27 -0000 DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws; s=s1024; d=sbcglobal.net; h=Received:Received:Date:From:To:Subject:Message-ID:Mail-Followup-To:References:Mime-Version:Content-Type:Content-Disposition:In-Reply-To:User-Agent; b=tmkIazTBOvMnEKb1nt6y8XlDDL5Au+LsUSxn+YXSkkneAZc00C+jkYyOZL+icy1Ta9pl04LbkJ+k2CeHSK6ryQDH22sArLhDO9M5/b0Tzn3fr5qYetJCgwmdUFMe16/Aa45NSnPcJ9JmGg5z6S8ojfxB/852mujdPpSNHT2Ml2A= ; Received: from unknown (HELO home) (d1945@sbcglobal.net@69.104.191.121 with login) by smtp102.sbc.mail.mud.yahoo.com with SMTP; 19 Oct 2006 23:17:27 -0000 Received: by home (sSMTP sendmail emulation); Thu, 19 Oct 2006 16:17:26 -0700 Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 16:17:26 -0700 From: George Allan To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Message-ID: <20061019231726.GA672@home> Mail-Followup-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org References: <20061017024608.oz5nxhf483s4c444@www.be-known-online.com> <20061017033149.GA1064@home> <20061018011558.rebcylgmsvr44wwg@www.be-known-online.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20061018011558.rebcylgmsvr44wwg@www.be-known-online.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.1i Subject: Re: Automated installations 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: Thu, 19 Oct 2006 23:17:28 -0000 On Wed, Oct 18, 2006 at 01:15:58AM +0000, valentin_nils@be-known-online.com wrote: Be considerate of others. Please don't top post. > Quoting George Allan: >> valentin_nils@be-known-online.com wrote: >>> I am in search of an tool for automated installations. SOmething like >>> Kickstart or Autoyast for Linux - just the BSD-able version ;-) >>> >>> Is anybody aware of such a tool that I perhaps overlooked or anybody >>> perhaps currently developing one ? >> >> sysinstall(8) is your friend. >> pxeboot(8) will buy the drinks. >> >> Be sure to read through Section 2 of the fine Handbook. > > That basically means that I have to compile/burn my own CD with the > config file install.cfg in it right ? Not at all. I'd advise against trying to compile/burn your own CD. I'd even advise against using CDs altogether, except perhaps in the case of emergencies. Once you're past the 1 system count, setting up a network infrastructure to handle your installations (along with just about everything else) is often more than just a good idea. The small investment in time will give you the opportunity to learn something, and will save you time and grief in the future. > is there a version f.e. to start from the CD (with some parameters > where the config file is located) and do that from a boot floppy - > basically without PXEboot or can I point PXEboot to the CD image AND > the install.cfg somehow ? Again, drop the CD idea. You want to be booting off the network, and installing from the network. The following link provides a newbie-friendly description of how you can use PXE to perform a simple network-based installation: http://gja.space4me.com/things/Using_pxeboot_Install53.html Once you're comfortable with the concepts, you can proceed to automating the installation (and customising install.cfg): http://www.tnpi.biz/computing/freebsd/pxe-netboot.shtml Regards.