Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 16:31:18 -0700
From: Julian Elischer <julian@elischer.org>
To: current@freebsd.org, small@freebsd.org
Subject: {pico, tiny, nano}BSD, FreesBIE
Message-ID: <452D7EC6.5080302@elischer.org>
In-Reply-To: <452D6C90.7020703@FreeBSD.org>
References: <452D6C90.7020703@FreeBSD.org>
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Some people have asked me about why we have so many different ways to make images.. I had a quick look for a page on the site that holds this sort of thing but didn't spot it.. Here's quick comparison from my perspective. In order of increasing size: PicoBSD compiles from the given sources and can thus build cross revision, or with a lot more tailored stuff. Using the crunch gives TRULY tiny images.. (a 4MB image is possible I think) A bit fiddly but the only way to go on a machine with a really small image requirement. I like it for [34]86 class machines with 8MB ram. (If you can get a boot media) it used to be possible to get it all on a floppy but I don;t think that is now possible due to kernel growth. NanoBSD compiles, and is capable of being set to build a cross image of a different architecture. Different compile options can be used from the build system, e.g. you could leave out support for kerberos or similar and get a different version of telnet. TinyBSD uses the precompiled binaries on the building system. Thus it can not make a crossbuilt image, or one based on a different revision. (It does however make a custom kernel) It is however REALLY fast.. It is interactive to some extent and can make an image which will run off the boot media or create a memory filesystem image. (select at build time). In size it is similar to NanoBSD but 'simpler', though less flexible. Still needs a little work for running off a USB stick but works fine in mfs mode. FreeSBIE is another option. it is designed to make not only a basic image but to include all sorts of packages and possibly configure them. Targetted at media the size of a CD. it builds everything from scratch and can this be very tailored. more flexible than tinyBSD, but more work too. In addition there is Monowall and pfsense (monowall.org, pfsense.com) though I haven't played with them.
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