From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Oct 26 22:54:33 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5DC6316A418; Fri, 26 Oct 2007 22:54:33 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from tching@arraynetworks.net) Received: from Exchange.arraynetworks.net (mail.arraynetworks.net [12.22.49.71]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 4487613C4CB; Fri, 26 Oct 2007 22:54:33 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from tching@arraynetworks.net) Content-class: urn:content-classes:message MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 15:54:27 -0700 Message-ID: X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft Exchange V6.5 In-Reply-To: <20071026224810.GN50315@over-yonder.net> X-MS-Has-Attach: X-MS-TNEF-Correlator: Thread-Topic: boot loader Thread-Index: AcgYIk/8lYe9+bFsTv+b87J0x1tzVQAAJhfg From: "Thomas Ching" To: "Matthew D. Fuller" , "Doug Barton" X-Mailman-Approved-At: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 23:35:23 +0000 Cc: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: RE: boot loader X-BeenThere: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Technical Discussions relating to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 22:54:33 -0000 Thanks for sharing your thoughts/opinions; I am glad that there are at least some things that I can try. Thomas -----Original Message----- From: Matthew D. Fuller [mailto:fullermd@over-yonder.net]=20 Sent: Friday, October 26, 2007 3:48 PM To: Doug Barton Cc: Thomas Ching; freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: boot loader On Fri, Oct 26, 2007 at 01:47:04PM -0700 I heard the voice of Doug Barton, and lo! it spake thus: >=20 > You could theoretically install onto a local system, tar it up, then > unpack it in the unused partition on your remote machine, yes. > However in order to set the new slice bootable you'd have to then > use the disk editor, and if you get even one thing the tiniest bit > wrong, you've bricked it. Actually, you may be able to talk the 4.x loader into loading and booting off the created 6.x partition. That would save disk editing. Still, you only get one shot at it without console access. But you said you have a serial port, so you could stuff a serial console on it, which gives you lots more safety. I moved a couple 4.x machines to 6.x remotely with just a serial console, and I think I only ended up needing to use the serial console on one machine where I didn't properly nudge the loader to look in the right place. Sure was glad to have it there, though. --=20 Matthew Fuller (MF4839) | fullermd@over-yonder.net Systems/Network Administrator | http://www.over-yonder.net/~fullermd/ On the Internet, nobody can hear you scream.