Date: Mon, 14 Oct 2013 07:51:15 -0600 (MDT) From: Warren Block <wblock@wonkity.com> To: Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de> Cc: Kenta Suzumoto <kentas@hush.com>, freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Reinstall without reformat Message-ID: <alpine.BSF.2.00.1310140740140.86796@wonkity.com> In-Reply-To: <20131014072118.8a49bd58.freebsd@edvax.de> References: <20131013172430.71AA26018E@smtp.hushmail.com> <20131014040742.d03fa5bd.freebsd@edvax.de> <alpine.BSF.2.00.1310132258540.82895@wonkity.com> <20131014072118.8a49bd58.freebsd@edvax.de>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On Mon, 14 Oct 2013, Polytropon wrote: > On Sun, 13 Oct 2013 23:01:02 -0600 (MDT), Warren Block wrote: >> On Mon, 14 Oct 2013, Polytropon wrote: >> >>> On Sun, 13 Oct 2013 13:24:30 -0400, Kenta Suzumoto wrote: >>>> Hi all. Is it possible to install FreeBSD without formatting the disk? >>> >>> Yes. The installer supports not formatting existing partitions. >>> The file system characteristica will be kept, possible content >>> will overwritten. Note that "superfluous content" will also be >>> kept, except of course you previously remove everything. >> >> sysinstall supported that, but AFAIK bsdinstall does not. > > Oh, seems you're right. I've checked The FreeBSD Handbook for > the relevant instructions for using bsdinstall at > > http://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/bsdinstall-partitioning.html > > and > > http://www.freebsd.org/doc/handbook/bsdinstall-final-warning.html > > and I didn't find an option to _not_ initialize existing partitions, > even though it seems you can assign existing partitions without any > problem. The remaining question: Will they be initialized again? It is possible to mount filesystems manually from the shell and have bsdinstall continue with the install without formatting them. It's been a while since I tried that, and I don't recall the exact details. bsdinstall(8) suggests it may be as easy as just having the existing filesystems mounted at /mnt. Still, not something to try without a backup.
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?alpine.BSF.2.00.1310140740140.86796>