From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Wed May 11 07:29:50 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E138216A4CE for ; Wed, 11 May 2005 07:29:50 +0000 (GMT) Received: from ares.wolfpond.org (ns1.wolfpond.org [62.212.96.219]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A033A43D58 for ; Wed, 11 May 2005 07:29:47 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from ftigeot@wolfpond.org) Received: from aoi.wolfpond.org (aoi.wolfpond.org [IPv6:2001:7a8:24db:1:20c:76ff:feb4:27e1]) by ares.wolfpond.org (8.13.3/8.13.3) with ESMTP id j4B7TgBd017087; Wed, 11 May 2005 09:29:42 +0200 (CEST) (envelope-from ftigeot@aoi.wolfpond.org) Received: from aoi.wolfpond.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by aoi.wolfpond.org (8.13.3/8.13.1) with ESMTP id j4B7Tha8032559; Wed, 11 May 2005 09:29:43 +0200 (CEST) (envelope-from ftigeot@aoi.wolfpond.org) Received: (from ftigeot@localhost) by aoi.wolfpond.org (8.13.3/8.13.1/Submit) id j4B7Teqg032558; Wed, 11 May 2005 09:29:40 +0200 (CEST) (envelope-from ftigeot) Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 09:29:40 +0200 From: Francois Tigeot To: Chris Phillips Message-ID: <20050511072940.GA32258@aoi.wolfpond.org> References: <20050509210458.GB9844@bloom.cse.buffalo.edu> <42814A17.1010301@Rainbow-IT.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <42814A17.1010301@Rainbow-IT.net> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.1i cc: FreeBSD MailingList Subject: Re: Creating a mini install disk, for particular needs X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 07:29:51 -0000 On Wed, May 11, 2005 at 12:56:07AM +0100, Chris Phillips wrote: > > I am trying to find a suitable alternative to our crappy, solid-state, > thin client boxes (because they are so awfully unreliable & the > manufacturer has also gone down the tubes). > > We need a fairly painless way, to roll out a fresh install onto some > random i386 hardware we have lying around (there's a plentiful supply), > for any new users, who require a basic functioning GUI, with access to > graphical email client, web browser & 'rdesktop' (for the windows > applications, that they are all hooked on). You may also try to use your PCs as thin clients. Check out http://www.thinbsd.org/ , it is a small FreeBSD based system to create X11 or Windows terminals. (Don't be afraid by the release dates, the project is not dead). > What I'd love to be able to do, is to create a FreeBSD (it's my > favorite) CD, that contains all that I need for these basic systems. > Either, set up so that the install is automated, with just the minimal > of setup, or so that it's got all the packages that I want & can all be > installed straight off the CD (perhaps by choosing the "All Packages" > option). > > Is what I've described actually possible? There are informations to script the install process in sysinstall(8) I had to install FreeBSD and Linux on dozens of workstations before and found out the CD thing was not the most practicable way. I ended up doing a fairly complete install on a master machine and cloning it via PXE booting and dd (disks were identicals). Check out this paper for a similar technique: http://www.pix.net/software/pxeboot/archive/SANE.pdf -- Francois Tigeot