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Date: Thu, 5 Oct 1995 09:15:40 -0500
From: peter@taronga.com (Peter da Silva)
Message-Id: <199510051415.JAA00892@bonkers.taronga.com>
To: hackers@freebsd.org
Subject: Multi-floppy Install (Re: FreeBSD 2.1 will require a minimum of 8MB for installation.)
Newsgroups: taronga.freebsd.hackers
In-Reply-To: <15228.812444517@time.cdrom.com>
Organization: Taronga Park BBS
Sender: owner-hackers@freebsd.org
Precedence: bulk

After having to move the disks over to a second system to install a system,
because the GENERIC kernel didn't do it, and seeing this...

I think the one floppy install was a really nifty idea, but it's a big
problem to have an install floppy you can't mount or boot from an alternate
kernel.

(ok, you *can* mount the boot.flp, but all it's got is /kernel!)

There are just too many reasons one might need to build a special install
floppy, and right now that's too much of a black art to keep this magic
mfs-booted kernel as the only install set. A multi-floppy set is much more
practical.

	1. You can install with new drivers.
	2. You can install with *patched* drivers.
	3. You can install with a stripped kernel.
	4. You can modify the install for special circumstances, like
	   putting your third-party proprietary stuff in there.

You lose a little flash. You gain a lot of functionality.