From owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Jul 20 21:36:35 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 9F7A81065671 for ; Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:36:35 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from m.e.sanliturk@gmail.com) Received: from nf-out-0910.google.com (nf-out-0910.google.com [64.233.182.190]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 085FD8FC12 for ; Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:36:34 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from m.e.sanliturk@gmail.com) Received: by nf-out-0910.google.com with SMTP id h3so436729nfh.33 for ; Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:36:33 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:received:received:message-id:date:from:to :subject:mime-version:content-type; bh=QIp3F7D0u4omrktawJTsnuWnTsCM6kBh10GZ/LFiV88=; b=ZxziiGTzHiOuaAVK8BY3n3GhFiahbQ64ezFgc24MX/ColB2/MWuYnoULpbJ3n4bBPF jcm4NXXGsSRdj7e8r9ZejgLNk68bCzsXq27mg4UzJVlGPrZ60vfFAyccuuyqUfhKhkU1 Sdz08+IPQNhZvEN+rNUt+nJDUzVpPUdoxF3WY= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=message-id:date:from:to:subject:mime-version:content-type; b=EFAtQ29sGXDLCoKkUAOLJzLX74e26nnGwz+CJXHuBz33r7WVm21ss6PN3rApWmt3vB hl7mvFuihdYt/yvJAm3Y8lD/NK315vD0chnvuJyJxmIB/IP3m3dc/GkZnYe8QSmutY40 rhqeDZqAzVfIrRG0P1SRilOMz9G2cOGXoi8rQ= Received: by 10.210.139.15 with SMTP id m15mr2574919ebd.51.1216589793075; Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:36:33 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.210.62.13 with HTTP; Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:36:33 -0700 (PDT) Message-ID: Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:36:33 -0700 From: "Mehmet Erol Sanliturk" To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline X-Content-Filtered-By: Mailman/MimeDel 2.1.5 Subject: Installation of FreeBSD . X-BeenThere: freebsd-current@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussions about the use of FreeBSD-current List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:36:35 -0000 Dear Sirs , (1) The installer may be allowed to make an installation diskette or USB stick to store installation options . When a new installation is tried on the same machine or in another similar machine ( especially for multiple installations ), allow user to use such an aid to use input of options . As an example : Mandriva Free 2008 . (2) I know FreeBSD for a long time , but now more than six months I am using it to learn it properly and utilize it as a secure operating system and a platform for program development ( especially with Free Pascal ) . I am not fluent in C/C++ as much as Pascal and actually I am not using them . This means that I am not able to suggest any solution about mentioned improvements at present other than inform you about problems . (3) I want to inform you about a problem of booting of FreeBSD . I copied "/boot/defaults/loader.conf "as "/boot/loader.conf ". I have changed the following parameters : usb_load="YES" ukbd_load="YES" ums_load="YES" umass_load="YES" umodem_load="YES" uscanner_load="YES" After these changes when started to boot FreeBSD , it is locked in detecting ( or probing ) keyboard controller . Any one of the boot option selected from the initial boot menu did not worked . I am using Intel 965WHMKR mainboard , and Intel 6450 processor , 2 GB main memory , Seagate 250 GB SATA hard disk . I attached (i) USB keyboard (1) only ( worked to give initial parameters ) (2) with PS/2 keyboard ( worked to give initial parameters ) (ii) PS/2 keyboard only ( worked to give initial parameters ) . I removed hard disk and attached it to an ASUS mainboard . It could NOT booted due to lock in detecting ( or probing ) keyboard controller . Since initial boot could not be achieved it could not be possible to correct related configuration file , and all of my works have been wasted due to a new install . In FreeBSD installs , there is a very important missing feature : Boot and re-configure configuration files . Install ALWAYS insisting partition of disks without checking whether there are valid partitions or not , and it is not suggesting repair of existing configuration files in hard disk . If live file system CD or only boot CD is used , it is also starting to a new install . In any way it is not possible ( or I do not know how ) to mount hard disk partitions or directories to edit the configuration files . There is no any rescue CD ( let's say ) to repair the above mentioned parts ( configuration files ) . I think this is a very important point to consider . (4) During installation , if a list of ports collection is selected , it is continuously asking interchange of CD's . Instead of this , all of the CD contents may be copied into a temporary directory and then they may be installed from this directory . OR ( I do not know internal workings of pkg_add command ) a list of selected packages may be made and first all of the packages in CD 1 may be added , and then CD 2 packages may be added , etc . I copied all of the packages into a DVD , but it did NOT worked because the installer is requesting CD with its NUMBER by checking the number in a file . Instead of this , it may check presence of package and if the package is present it may be added , if it is not present the installer may request the CD which it contains the requested package . In that way a DVD containing all of the packages may be used . There no DVD *.ISO files for installations . If it is NOT diifcult to generate DVD *.ISO files , it may solve this CD interchanging difficulty . (5) (6) The above points show that installation steps of FreeBSD should be re-considered carefully when compared to other operating system installations . Personally I am a computer professional since 1974 and I have a PhD on Computer Engineering , and I find the install of FreeBSD difficult , but there are many MORE difficult other Operating Systems installations. (7) During an upgrade of FreeBSD , because of inability of boot due to a configuration file error , the installer is installing only the programs and leaving the configuration files unchanged . Since inability to boot is resulting from the error(s) in configuration file(s) , upgrading the FreeBSD is not solving the problem . On such a case it is becoming to commit a full re-install by re-structuring , re-partitioning , re-installing everything . To prevent such an install it would be very useful to include an item to upgrade menu to allow the installer to re-new or edit the configuration file(s) . With this facility sometimes it may not be necessary to re-install the programs . (8) During install , in the menus or action selection points , there is NO a "Back" option to go back and re-select an option . Approximately all the menus are advancing forward to a new step . If "Back" step is included in the menus it will make possible to correct errors . (9) In network card configuration , there is no a new re-start to configure another network card . In this part , repetition is necessary to configure multiple cards until an exit is selected . (10) Easiness of usage is NOT a GUI interface or text based interface , but the ability to follow steps to apply easily and to find information required to understand the step . In this regard help information may be displayed at the side of the install menus related to high-lighted items . Thank you very much , Mehmet Erol Sanliturk