Creating a custom install disk for Freebsd?
Hi all. I'm looking at trying to create a custom install disk for Freebsd based off an existing install to make reinstallation quick and painless, similar to how apt-on-cd works for Linux. The reason behind this is I'm looking at going overseas for a couple years and will be leaving a bsd server in my brother-in-law's care. Since he's a hardware guy, if the server fails, he can easily fix it and get it back up. But he will be clueless as to how to reinstall the server itself and get it running afterwards (assuming the failure was caused by the HD failing). So I want to leave behind a cd that's setup in such a way that all he has to do is pop it in, boot it up, and maybe answer a couple questions prior to install. After that the cd does the rest. And when it's finished, the system ends up with a fresh copy of the server as it was when the snapshot was created, including all settings and applications. It's fine if the software isn't the latest. I just need to make sure he can get it up quickly and easily and then I'll handle the rest of the stuff remotely from overseas, such as bringing it up to date. The goal is just to make it as absolutely easy as I can for him to get working. He's really good with PC hardware, but he a total newb on the software side. So, is there something like this for Freebsd, or would I be forced to use something like Clonezilla to create an image and go that route? I'm not very found of the disk image idea myself, but I can go that route if need be. Steven Lake Owner/Technical Writer Raiden's Realm www.raiden.net Bringing Linux and BSD to the World ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org
Re: Creating a custom install disk for Freebsd?
On Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:45:11 -0400, Steve Lake steve.l...@raiden.net wrote: So I want to leave behind a cd that's setup in such a way that all he has to do is pop it in, boot it up, and maybe answer a couple questions prior to install. After that the cd does the rest. And when it's finished, the system ends up with a fresh copy of the server as it was when the snapshot was created, including all settings and applications. If any data loss is okay then (due to reinstallation a common observation), you could easily create a bootable DVD (a CD would be too small I think) that runs a simple shell script that 1. slices and partitions the disk, 2. newfses the partitions and 3. restores a dump onto the partitions. These dumps you can generate from the server before you leave, read: in the state that is desired for best operation. (Go into SUM, unmount the partitions of the server and do a full dump.) If you set up everything correctly, no interaction should be required. PRO:exact 1:1 copy of a running system no interaction CONTRA: need extra disk to save dump files system in the state exactly prior dump It's fine if the software isn't the latest. The software will of course have the date of the dump. I just need to make sure he can get it up quickly and easily and then I'll handle the rest of the stuff remotely from overseas, such as bringing it up to date. Then my suggestion would be fine. I usually go the same route, but without a custom boot CD. I use FreeSBIE to boot the system, have a second hard disk with the partition images on it (e. g. root.dump, var.dump, usr.dump, home.dump) and use sysinstall from the CD to slice, partition and newfs the disk, and then restore the backups onto the partitions (ad0s1a, ad0s1d-g). I think it would even be okay to use the live file system of a FreeBSD disc instead of FreeSBIE. But I think in your case, involving a live system CD would be too complicated (allthough it is not *that* complicated), so the automated approach would be okay. So, is there something like this for Freebsd, or would I be forced to use something like Clonezilla to create an image and go that route? No. FreeBSD is an excellent operating system that brings everything to accomplish this task. The basic tools are dump, restore, a bit of shell scripting, and a CD / DVD burning application. I'm not very found of the disk image idea myself, but I can go that route if need be. It's not that bad, but be sure to make more than one of these installation discs, just in case one gets damaged. :-) If this isn't what you're searching for, maybe the make release from the FreeBSD /usr/src tree will help you. You can furthermore create a custom installation file for sysinstall. That's possible, too. -- Polytropon From Magdeburg, Germany Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0 Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ... ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org
Re: Creating a custom install disk for Freebsd?
On Apr 12, 2009, at 7:45 PM, Steve Lake wrote: Hi all. I'm looking at trying to create a custom install disk for Freebsd based off an existing install to make reinstallation quick and painless Hi Steve, FreeBSD's install can be scripted... Quoted from BSD Hacks by Dru Lavigne FreeBSD's install mechanism lives in /stand/sysinstall. Not surprisingly, man sysinstall describes all of the scriptable bits of this program. I'll go over some useful parameters, but you'll definitely want to skim through the manpage to see if there are additional parameters suited to your particular environment. FreeBSD also comes with a commented, ready-to-customize install script, located in /usr/src/usr.sbin/sysinstall/install.cfg. Copy this file, then edit the copy in your favorite editor. OTOH, a bootable dvd with a cloned image on it would be a much simpler solution, IMHO. -- Thanks, Charles Things you'd like to say out lout at work, but can't... What am I? Flypaper for freaks!? ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org
Re: Creating a custom install disk for Freebsd?
On Sun, Apr 12, 2009 at 8:45 PM, Steve Lake steve.l...@raiden.net wrote: Hi all. I'm looking at trying to create a custom install disk for Freebsd based off an existing install to make reinstallation quick and painless, similar to how apt-on-cd works for Linux. The reason behind this is I'm looking at going overseas for a couple years and will be leaving a bsd server in my brother-in-law's care. Since he's a hardware guy, if the server fails, he can easily fix it and get it back up. But he will be clueless as to how to reinstall the server itself and get it running afterwards (assuming the failure was caused by the HD failing). So I want to leave behind a cd that's setup in such a way that all he has to do is pop it in, boot it up, and maybe answer a couple questions prior to install. After that the cd does the rest. And when it's finished, the system ends up with a fresh copy of the server as it was when the snapshot was created, including all settings and applications. ... Steven Lake Owner/Technical Writer Raiden's Realm www.raiden.net Bringing Linux and BSD to the World The following is not an answer to your question but only to suggest a possible installation step to be able to use in such an instance and many repeated installations . There is such a facility in Mandriva Free 2008 ( www.mandriva.com ) . During installation it is possible to use a diskette to save all of the responses of the user for the installation . Then , for a new installation on another PC , when this diskette is submitted to the Mandriva installer , it is not asking any question about installation and it is using the parameters stored in that diskette . I wish that the FreeBSD is also applies such a step . It would be very useful for the installers because re-entry of all of the parameters for a new install of the same operating system on the same machine or a similar another machine really is very time consuming . Even such a facility may use XML files to make it usable for different successive releases with a possible update of the XML files . Instead of diskette , a USB stick may also be used because diskette drives are disappearing slowly . Thank you very much Mehmet Erol Sanliturk ___ freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions To unsubscribe, send any mail to freebsd-questions-unsubscr...@freebsd.org
