Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 16:26:33 +0200 From: Jonathan McKeown <jonathan@hst.org.za> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: FreeBSD installer (was Re: Newbie Experience #2) Message-ID: <200609111626.33353.jonathan@hst.org.za> In-Reply-To: <1157982973.13127.270627049@webmail.messagingengine.com> References: <004001c6d5a0$43ab6ef0$0c01a8c0@DELL8400> <1157982973.13127.270627049@webmail.messagingengine.com>
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On Monday 11 September 2006 15:56, Jud wrote: > everyone who uses FreeBSD knows that a "better" (meaning, > at least to many folks, more simplified and graphical) > installer would be nice Perhaps as an option. The problem is that you need to install a graphical environment to run a graphical installer. Simplicity means different things to different people, too. I set up new and replacement servers, using commodity hardware for cost reasons, for our various offices around South Africa. I used to have a KVM switch with a spare monitor and keyboard in my office for doing the installations, or if I was going elsewhere to install delivered hardware or update an existing box, we needed to arrange a spare screen and keyboard at the location. I now have a slightly-adjusted installation CD (I downloaded the disc 1 and 2 ISO images from Freebsd.org, unpacked disc 1 onto a hard drive and edited boot/loader.conf, adding the line console="comconsole" then made a new ISO and burned to a fresh CD labelled ``disc 1- serial''). Now the only time my servers get a screen/keyboard connected is to configure the BIOS when they are first unpacked. Otherwise the basic install is done from the serial boot CD with my laptop as a serial terminal, up to the point where I can ssh to the box and start customising, adding packages etc. From my point of view it doesn't get simpler than that. Jonathan
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