From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Aug 4 07:34:02 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 81028106564A for ; Tue, 4 Aug 2009 07:34:02 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from stark@mapper.nl) Received: from smtp-out1.tiscali.nl (smtp-out1.tiscali.nl [195.241.79.176]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 170A08FC08 for ; Tue, 4 Aug 2009 07:34:02 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from stark@mapper.nl) Received: from [82.170.17.27] (helo=mapper.nl) by smtp-out1.tiscali.nl with esmtp (Exim) (envelope-from ) id 1MYEX1-0001Cw-7X for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:34:01 +0200 Received: from bowser ([192.168.0.1] helo=[0.0.0.0]) by mapper.nl with esmtp (Exim 4.69 (FreeBSD)) (envelope-from ) id 1MYEWf-0004Hj-CH for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:33:37 +0200 Message-ID: <4A77E44E.8090500@mapper.nl> Date: Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:33:34 +0200 From: Mark Stapper User-Agent: Thunderbird 2.0.0.22 (Windows/20090605) MIME-Version: 1.0 CC: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org References: <2daa8b4e0908011421x3142425fm69eef6df8ebf4309@mail.gmail.com> <20090803214425.58580308.freebsd@edvax.de> In-Reply-To: <20090803214425.58580308.freebsd@edvax.de> X-Enigmail-Version: 0.96.0 Content-Type: multipart/signed; micalg=pgp-sha1; protocol="application/pgp-signature"; boundary="------------enigA6368B333863A153E667AE27" Subject: Re: Manual Installations on Flash Media 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: Tue, 04 Aug 2009 07:34:03 -0000 This is an OpenPGP/MIME signed message (RFC 2440 and 3156) --------------enigA6368B333863A153E667AE27 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Polytropon wrote: > On Sat, 1 Aug 2009 14:21:02 -0700, David Allen wrote: > =20 >> 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? >> =20 > > 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 > > > > =20 >> 2. I don't expect the system to swap, so can I dispense with a swap en= try >> and have everything function normally (no error messages, etc.)? >> =20 > > 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. > > > > =20 >> 3. Will adding `noatime' to / or any other filesystem have any >> consequences? >> =20 > > 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. > > > > =20 You may want to look at the link below. It describes how to install freebsd on an USB-pendrive. http://typo.submonkey.net/articles/2006/4/13/installing-freebsd-on-usb-st= ick-episode-2 It notes that /var/log /var/run and /tmp should not be written to flash memory. You can use memory devices for these directories to minimize disk writes.= If you want, you can backup/and repopulate these directories on shutdown/startup. Hope it helps! Mark --------------enigA6368B333863A153E667AE27 Content-Type: application/pgp-signature; name="signature.asc" Content-Description: OpenPGP digital signature Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="signature.asc" -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org/ iEYEARECAAYFAkp35FEACgkQN9xNqOOVnWC9MwCfbzS3mSk8+lF2dtQbSivmo0Vn 4bQAn2+X1FvJb+GHSuu0I7A/bWEr/Em7 =L7/u -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --------------enigA6368B333863A153E667AE27--