From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Tue Apr  1 03:26:06 2014
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [8.8.178.115])
 (using TLSv1 with cipher ADH-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits))
 (No client certificate requested)
 by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id D9272FFA
 for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>; Tue,  1 Apr 2014 03:26:06 +0000 (UTC)
Received: from wonkity.com (wonkity.com [67.158.26.137])
 (using TLSv1.2 with cipher ECDHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 (256/256 bits))
 (Client CN "wonkity.com", Issuer "wonkity.com" (not verified))
 by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 8A90BB9A
 for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>; Tue,  1 Apr 2014 03:26:06 +0000 (UTC)
Received: from wonkity.com (localhost [127.0.0.1])
 by wonkity.com (8.14.8/8.14.8) with ESMTP id s313Q1ue092732
 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-GCM-SHA384 bits=256 verify=NO);
 Mon, 31 Mar 2014 21:26:02 -0600 (MDT)
 (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Received: from localhost (wblock@localhost)
 by wonkity.com (8.14.8/8.14.8/Submit) with ESMTP id s313Q1bb092729;
 Mon, 31 Mar 2014 21:26:01 -0600 (MDT)
 (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com)
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 21:26:01 -0600 (MDT)
From: Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com>
To: Eric Roseman <Eric.Roseman@Colorado.EDU>
Subject: Re: failed memstick install
In-Reply-To: <201404010309.s3139plM020883@refuge.colorado.edu>
Message-ID: <alpine.BSF.2.00.1403312124250.92713@wonkity.com>
References: <201404010309.s3139plM020883@refuge.colorado.edu>
User-Agent: Alpine 2.00 (BSF 1167 2008-08-23)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-4.4.3
 (wonkity.com [127.0.0.1]); Mon, 31 Mar 2014 21:26:02 -0600 (MDT)
Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org, Mayuresh Kathe <mayuresh@kathe.in>
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.17
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/options/freebsd-questions>, 
 <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions/>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
 <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 03:26:06 -0000

On Tue, 1 Apr 2014, Eric Roseman wrote:

> The article suggests to 'dd' the image with
>
>  dd if=8.0-RELEASE-amd64-memstick.img of=/dev/sdf bs=10240 conv=sync
>
> In the official handbook,
> http://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/bsdinstall-pre.html
> the advice is to dd the image with:
>
>  dd if=FreeBSD-9.0-RELEASE-i386-memstick.img of=/dev/da0 bs=64k
>
> is the handbook incorrect?

No, either will work.  The current version in the Handbook uses larger 
block sizes for a faster copy.