From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Mar 2 18:15:41 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 A38D01065692 for ; Mon, 2 Mar 2009 18:15:41 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jerrymc@gizmo.acns.msu.edu) Received: from gizmo.acns.msu.edu (gizmo.acns.msu.edu [35.8.1.43]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5E4E98FC08 for ; Mon, 2 Mar 2009 18:15:41 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jerrymc@gizmo.acns.msu.edu) Received: from gizmo.acns.msu.edu (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by gizmo.acns.msu.edu (8.13.6/8.13.6) with ESMTP id n22ICiIf056767; Mon, 2 Mar 2009 13:12:44 -0500 (EST) (envelope-from jerrymc@gizmo.acns.msu.edu) Received: (from jerrymc@localhost) by gizmo.acns.msu.edu (8.13.6/8.13.6/Submit) id n22ICiGc056766; Mon, 2 Mar 2009 13:12:44 -0500 (EST) (envelope-from jerrymc) Date: Mon, 2 Mar 2009 13:12:44 -0500 From: Jerry McAllister To: new_guy Message-ID: <20090302181244.GA56706@gizmo.acns.msu.edu> References: <22292723.post@talk.nabble.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <22292723.post@talk.nabble.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.2i Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: bsd.rd for FreeBSD install 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: Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:15:42 -0000 On Mon, Mar 02, 2009 at 09:36:39AM -0800, new_guy wrote: > > Hi, > > We normally use OpenBSD, but would like to try FreeBSD on a test system. > Usually, when updating from one OpenBSD release to another, we do so by > downloading the latest bsd.rd and booting from that to complete the install. > Our machines have no optical drives. Does FreeBSD have a similar method to > installation? Hmmm. Having a CD drive makes it so easy. It might be worthwhile to run out and get an external one you can plug in. Installs can also be done from a pair of floppies if you have a floppy drive. The floppy just has the boot and sysinstall stuff. Everything else downloads over the net or can be loaded on some other media such as tape or external disk and installed from there. You can create almost any kind of media if you can make it bootable and put stuff on it and boot from it and bring up sysinstall. But, I do not think you can put that on the slice you want to install to and then do a complete install there. Now, if you have FreeBSD running, you can upgrade it in place. Update and csup are all useful tools to learn for that. But, an initial install wants to be on some media other than where it will be installed. That is mostly because you build your disk filesystem as part of the installation. ////jerry > > Thanks! > -- > View this message in context: http://www.nabble.com/bsd.rd-for-FreeBSD-install-tp22292723p22292723.html > Sent from the freebsd-questions mailing list archive at Nabble.com. > > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org"