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Date: Mon, 3 Aug 2009 21:44:25 +0200
From: Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de>
To: David Allen <the.real.david.allen@gmail.com>
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Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: Manual Installations on Flash Media
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On Sat, 1 Aug 2009 14:21:02 -0700, David Allen <the.real.david.allen@gmail.com> wrote:
> I need to create a FreeBSD installation on an SSD drive (connected via a
> USB adaptor), and would like to do so manually so as to avoid the use of
> an installation CD, PXE or sysinstall.
> 
> 1.	Would a device alphabetical order (as used by bsdlabel) work?

I think it's no problem. My /etc/fstab looks that way:

	/dev/ad0s1b     none           swap    sw        0       0
	/dev/ad0s1a     /              ufs     rw        1       1
	/dev/ad0s1d     /tmp           ufs     rw        2       2
	/dev/ad0s1e     /var           ufs     rw        2       2
	/dev/ad0s1f     /usr           ufs     rw        2       2
	/dev/ad0s1g     /home          ufs     rw        2       2



> 2.	I don't expect the system to swap, so can I dispense with a swap entry
> 	and have everything function normally (no error messages, etc.)?

I don't know how to "expect" swapping. As far as I understood, the
system decides by itself if to write data to / read data from the
swap file. I'm not sure if you can omit it.



> 3.	Will adding `noatime' to / or any other filesystem have any
> 	consequences?

Yes. The access time for files won't be recorded. Using the noatime
option is often advised for the use with SSD media, so is ANY advice
that helps to minimize read / write cycles in order to increase the
life time of the media.




-- 
Polytropon
>From Magdeburg, Germany
Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...