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Date: Wed, 27 Sep 1995 09:53:33 -0400
From: Coranth Gryphon <gryphon@healer.com>
Message-Id: <199509271353.JAA20564@healer.com>
To: gryphon@healer.com, terry@lambert.org
Subject: Re: ports startup scripts
Cc: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org, freebsd-ports@freebs.org, kelly@fsl.noaa.gov
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From: Terry Lambert <terry@lambert.org>
> +> > From: Coranth Gryphon <gryphon@healer.com>
> +> > +> Here we are in agreement. But I think trying to make a read-only
>> + > +> configuration is a lot more hassle than it is worth.
> +> 
> +> > Argument: boot from CDROM to see if you can successfully run the
> +> > new version on your particular hardware.
> +> 
> +> If you go to the extent to make the CDROM bootable, making the sample
> +> configuration (sample /etc) a valid one shouldn't be all that tough.

> Counter-counter:  IP addreses and default name servers and gateway
> can not be preconfigured on a CDROM.  Therefore the must be in a non-ROM
> (MFS?) location.

Why does the IP information need to be stored on the file-system?
The CDRom bootable /etc comes with a script that asks for the IP data
(much like the 2.0.5 Sysinstall did) and does the configuration.

Once the hostname and ifconfig and routes are done, what needs to be stored?
The only reason to store stuff on disk is for permanent configuration.
Which is all the more reason I say to NOT have a read-only /etc.

If you want a diskless/dataless setup, either rely on bootp/DCHP (as you
earlier claimed to want to for this type of thing) or force the user to enter
those half-dozen pieces of information (host/domain, route, nameserver,
ip-addr, netmask) upon boot-up from the CDRom. That'll give a running
(unchangeable) configuration.

Somewhere, at some point, you need to make permanent changes to the
configuration of a machine, even if it is diskless. With prices for
hard-disks down around our ankles, the need for diskless FreeBSD machines
is functionally NIL. If someone really wants that setup, they have to
configure the remote server anyway, to server the root file-system for
that machine. What's so hard about configuring it for each machine?


-coranth

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Coranth Gryphon <gryphon@healer.com>      |  "Faith Manages."      |
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