Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:49:09 -0600 From: Tim Judd <tajudd@gmail.com> To: Bruce Ferrell <bferrell@baywinds.org> Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: PXEBOOT based upgrade/install Message-ID: <ade45ae90906181249j76b265cag2069d1d62f9f52b8@mail.gmail.com> In-Reply-To: <4A3A951D.4030400@baywinds.org> References: <4A3A88B9.9040704@baywinds.org> <ade45ae90906181215s31ee3429tea1db0c5a9177b3e@mail.gmail.com> <4A3A951D.4030400@baywinds.org>
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As a very brief instruction to setup a single-PC diskless boot (because of the pid files, mostly. But files in /etc are also the same concern) do the following on your NFS exported filesystems.. cd /path/to/installation/medium cd 7.2-RELEASE/kernels cat generic.?? | tar --unlink -xpzf - -C /path/to/exported/mountpoint cd ../base cat base.?? | tar --unlink -xpzf - -C /path/to/exported/mountpoint Add some NFS server functionality (file locking [for editing /etc/passwd], mostly) by adding to the server's rc.conf and starting the services: rpc_statd_enable="YES" rpc_lockd_enable="YES" Create the client's files: /etc/fstab /etc/rc.conf The client ALSO needs statd and lockd in order for file locking to work... don't forget to add it. And create optionally the serial console ability as outlined in the handbook. My ALIX (aka new PC Engines' WRAP boards) routers both have this diskless setup. If you're running it off Compact Flash, keep in mind the limited write cycles. I have them both running off Microdrives now (1" hard disks at 3600RPM) If anyone gets stuck, as I'm writing this from memory while I'm at work, let me know. I'll double check my config at home and update it if I need to. This does not add the manpages, the source files, ports, or anything. It's the same as sysinstall's "minimal" config. This will boot to a Multi-User Interface (MUI) and you can run sysinstall after logging in with root with no password. On 6/18/09, Bruce Ferrell <bferrell@baywinds.org> wrote: > > > Tim Judd wrote: >> If you're going to setup a netbooting server (congrats!), why are you >> trying to limit yourself to what seems to be the bootonly CD? > > Uh... 'cause I don't know any better? :) Point me to docs so I can do > better! > >> There are some people who complain about broadcom cards, in the fact >> that they're buggy support/nonexistant support. Maybe your NIC >> chipset is one of those. > > I don't know about that. This is in a Dell Power Edge 850 running > FreeBSD 5.4. > >> The loader.rc is told to mount a memory filesystem from ufs formatted >> disk located at /dev/md0c (a memory disk that is populated from the >> previous line, a file-based filesystem). > > So, I need to get rid of the set line? > > before I added that (done by rote from googeling) I was getting a panic > about no init. > >> So your system wouldn't be able to hit sysinstall or the /etc files >> (as I'm seeing the boot process) to do the install or configuration. >> >> >> >> >> Overall, what's to stop you from doing a diskless boot? the handbook >> makes it for a multi-PC setup, but for a single setup, it's quite >> easy. > > I need the stuff on the local disk as it runs an application that needs > local postgres and other stuff. Yes, I could put it elsewhere, but it > would mean flying 5 hours to do it. Rather just do an upgrade. > >> >> On 6/18/09, Bruce Ferrell <bferrell@baywinds.org> wrote: >>> Hi all! >>> >>> I'm new in these parts, but not new to *nix. I'm trying to upgrade a >>> system with FreeBSD 5.4 to 7.2. >>> >>> I've gotten the pxeboot to work, but somehow the network interface isn't >>> seen by the installer. >>> >>> loader.rc: >>> =========== >>> include /boot/loader.4th >>> include /boot/beastie.4th >>> >>> \ Reads and processes loader.conf variables >>> start >>> >>> load /boot/kernel/kernel >>> load -t mfs_root /boot/mfsroot >>> set vfs.root.mountfrom="ufs:/dev/md0c" >>> boot >>> >>> loader.conf: >>> ============ >>> mfsroot_load="YES" >>> mfsroot_type="mfs_root" >>> mfsroot_name="/boot/mfsroot" >>> if_bge_load="yes" >>> >>> I added the if_bge line at that seems to be the module used on 5.4. >>> >>> Any other leads? >>> >>> Thanks in advance >>> >>> Bruce >>> _______________________________________________ >>> 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" >>> >> >> > _______________________________________________ > 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" >
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