Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2005 10:57:35 -0800 (PST) From: stheg olloydson <stheg_olloydson@yahoo.com> To: kdk@daleco.biz, freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Cc: YGB@mail.ru Subject: Re: Install Free BSD without floppy and bootable CD-ROM-drive Message-ID: <20050224185735.20100.qmail@web53907.mail.yahoo.com> In-Reply-To: <421E10CF.2040704@daleco.biz>
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it was said by Kevin Kinsey: > Anthony Atkielski wrote: > > >stheg olloydson writes: > > > > > >>Because you don't have a floppy drive, Mr. Atkielski's suggestion > will > >>not work. The link he gave you is a good one. Skip section 2.2.7 > and > >>read section 2.13 instead. It explains how to install if you do not > >>have a floppy drive. > >> > >> > > > >If you have neither a CD drive or a floppy drive, I don't see how > you > >can install FreeBSD at all. The only option then is network (or > tape), > >but to use either of these you have to persuade your existing OS on > the > >machine to load something from them and turn control over to it > (like a > >boot). Most operating systems are understandably lacking in > mechanisms > >to do this (although there is a program under NT that will wipe the > >system clean in one move--I don't think it ships any more, since it > was > >too dangerous). > > > > > > Section 2.13 assumes the use of a boot floppy or bootable CD in all > cases, unless I'm reading incorrectly, which is possible but doesn't > seem likely. The documentation is a bit ambiguous. It states that the install files need to be where sysinstall can find them, but it doesn't state how to get sysinstall to run in the first place. Just below this section it does say: "You have a FreeBSD disk, and FreeBSD does not recognize your CD/DVD drive, but MS-DOS/Windows® does. You want to copy the FreeBSD installations files to a DOS partition on the same computer, and then install FreeBSD using those files." This certainly implies that one can install FBSD from a DOS partition if one copies the correct files in the correct manner. That method is explained in section 2.13.4. Luckily for me, I have never had to confront this issue, so I have no idea if you or I am correct. > > You've got to bootstrap a kernel into RAM *somehow* to do the work. > This section discusses alternative distribution media, but doesn't > explain > an alternate booting of a kernel+sysinstall. > > Without a bootable CD and no floppy hardware, the only alternatives > I can think of are: > > 1. Install FreeBSD on the HDD by moving it to another machine that > has a floppy drive, then move it back. > > 2. If your BIOS supports network booting, it might be possible to > get the laptop started "diskless", and then run sysinstall over the > network. Sound like a big project to me, though. I've toyed with > the > idea of starting a diskless LAN (mostly for fun), but haven't had > guts > to try it yet. > > 3. Anything else your BIOS might support that you can figure out > how to get started with, but I have no idea what devices those might > be.... > > Kevin Kinsey > Something not mentioned but really needs to be is hardware compatibilty. the OP, ygb, should check the Hardware Notes to see if his/her system will even work under FBSD. Because the laptop is older, the amount of RAM may determine which release to run, 4.11 or 5.3. Going through the effort the install may take only to discover the end result is unusable would be unfortunate. Best regards, stheg __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
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