From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Sep 11 14:26:37 2006 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2E9DC16A732 for ; Mon, 11 Sep 2006 14:26:37 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jonathan@hst.org.za) Received: from sirian.hst.org.za (sirian.hst.org.za [209.203.2.130]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 61E1143D45 for ; Mon, 11 Sep 2006 14:26:34 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from jonathan@hst.org.za) Received: from localhost (localhost.hst.org.za [127.0.0.1]) by sirian.hst.org.za (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2903A31C9B2 for ; Mon, 11 Sep 2006 16:25:42 +0200 (SAST) Received: from sirian.hst.org.za ([127.0.0.1]) by localhost (sirian.hst.org.za [127.0.0.1]) (amavisd-new, port 10024) with ESMTP id 69807-08 for ; Mon, 11 Sep 2006 16:25:42 +0200 (SAST) Received: by sirian.hst.org.za (Postfix, from userid 1004) id ED67F31C982; Mon, 11 Sep 2006 16:25:41 +0200 (SAST) Received: from sysadmin.int.dbn.hst.org.za (sysadmin.int.dbn.hst.org.za [10.1.1.20]) by sirian.hst.org.za (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2C4CA31C9DD for ; Mon, 11 Sep 2006 16:25:41 +0200 (SAST) From: Jonathan McKeown Organization: Health Systems Trust To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 16:26:33 +0200 User-Agent: KMail/1.7.2 References: <004001c6d5a0$43ab6ef0$0c01a8c0@DELL8400> <1157982973.13127.270627049@webmail.messagingengine.com> In-Reply-To: <1157982973.13127.270627049@webmail.messagingengine.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Message-Id: <200609111626.33353.jonathan@hst.org.za> X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 2.61 (1.212.2.1-2003-12-09-exp) on sirian.hst.org.za X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, hits=-4.9 required=7.0 tests=BAYES_00 autolearn=ham version=2.61 X-Virus-Scanned: by amavisd-new at hst.org.za Subject: FreeBSD installer (was Re: Newbie Experience #2) X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 14:26:37 -0000 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