Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 01:38:57 -0500 (EST) From: Robert Watson <rwatson@freebsd.org> To: paul van den bergen <pvandenbergen@swin.edu.au> Cc: questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: howto upgrade 4.8 to 4.9 without cdrom or floppy? Message-ID: <Pine.NEB.3.96L.1031212013751.12072A-100000@fledge.watson.org> In-Reply-To: <200312121717.27412.pvandenbergen@swin.edu.au>
next in thread | previous in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
On Fri, 12 Dec 2003, paul van den bergen wrote: > on freebsd-hackers, Alfred Perlstein posted a method that allows > boot-disk-less installation... but it requires mdconfig, a 5.1 > utility... > > is there a method to do this under 4.8? > > it seems to me that the job performed by md0 could be done with vn0 e.g. If you're willing to build from the source tree, the buildworld/buildkernel/installkernel/reboot/installworld/mergemaster route is actually quite reliable. I just upgraded a 4.6 box to 4.9 a couple of days ago, remotely with no serial console, cdrom, or floppy, without a hitch. Robert N M Watson FreeBSD Core Team, TrustedBSD Projects robert@fledge.watson.org Senior Research Scientist, McAfee Research > > do > # ls /dev/vn* > if empty do > # cd /dev > # ./MAKEDEV vn0 > # ./MAKEDEV vn1 > # vnconfig vn0 /path/to/freebsd/4.9.iso > # mount_cd9660 /dev/vn0c /path/to/freebsd4.9 > > or however you access the freebsd install iso disk > the point being to get access to the /floppies/boot.flp image on the cdrom > > # vnconfig vn1 /path/to/freebsd4.9/floppies/boot.flp > # mkdir /bootfloppy > # mount_mfs /dev/vn1c /bootfloppy/ > # cp /bootfloppy/kernel.gz /ikernel.gz > # cp /bootfloppy/mfsroot.gz /mfsroot.gz > > then reboot as described... > > I am about to try this out... wish me luck! > > > On Mon, 1 Dec 2003 07:18 pm, Alfred Perlstein wrote: > > I have a mini-HOWTO here that possibly be automated. > > > > Basically we're going to install FreeBSD over FreeBSD without > > a floppy, cdrom or pxe. > > > > This depends on a loader that's compatible with your kernel > > so if really weird lockups happen, you might not be compatible. > > > > > > Anyhow, here we go: > > > > > > Download the boot.flp from the release you want to install. > > > > Mount it like so: > > mdconfig -a -t vnode -f boot.flp > > # should output something like 'md0' > > mkdir -p /mnt > > mount /dev/md0 /mnt > > > > Copy the yummy bits from the install image to your root: > > cp /mnt/kernel.gz /ikernel.gz > > cp /mnt/mfsroot.gz /mfsroot.gz > > > > Now reboot and interrupt the loader when it counts down the boot. > > > > Then type these commands into the loader: > > unload kernel > > load /ikernel > > load -t mfs_root /mfsroot > > set vfs.root.mountfrom > > boot > > > > Now cross your fingers once you wipe the partitions out to reinstall... > > > > > > It would be cool if this could be automated[1], perhaps by setting > > the boot partition to the swap partition and setting it up temporarily > > as a ufs filesystem and then... oh... well... > > > > [1] http://www.jerkcity.com/jerkcity1426.html > > > > -- > Dr Paul van den Bergen > Centre for Advanced Internet Architectures > caia.swin.edu.au > pvandenbergen@swin.edu.au > IM:bulwynkl2002 > "And some run up hill and down dale, knapping the chucky stones > to pieces wi' hammers, like so many road makers run daft. > They say it is to see how the world was made." > Sir Walter Scott, St. Ronan's Well 1824 > > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-hackers > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-hackers-unsubscribe@freebsd.org" >
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?Pine.NEB.3.96L.1031212013751.12072A-100000>