Date: Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:43:32 +0100 From: Christian Laursen <xi@borderworlds.dk> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: install freebsd from inside another operating system Message-ID: <ygfprk2wlrf.fsf@dominion.borderworlds.dk> In-Reply-To: <493D246C.80008@chamonix.reportlab.co.uk> (Robin Becker's message of "Mon\, 08 Dec 2008 13\:43\:08 %2B0000") References: <493D246C.80008@chamonix.reportlab.co.uk>
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Robin Becker <robin@reportlab.com> writes: > I'm just wondering if it is possible to install FreeBSD from inside a > bootstrap operating system such as a knoppix or ubuntu preinstall? > > Reason I'm asking is that my boss is asking about getting another > commodity server using a provider that doesn't offer freebsd. We do > get KVM over IP however, and I assume that really clever people might > know how to handle this sort of thing if they have console access. With console access that shouldn't be too hard. My suggestion would be along the following lines: - Make a disk image with the FreeBSD installer using my iso2diskimage script at <http://borderworlds.dk/utils/>. - Add an entry to your GRUB configuration that will use memdisk from the syslinux package to load the disk image. - Reboot and select the newly created FreeBSD installer entry in GRUB. - Install FreeBSD The installer will run completely from RAM when booted so you can use the entire disk for FreeBSD. However, once sysinstall starts writing stuff to the disk you will no longer be able to boot the installer, so make sure to do it right the first time. :) -- Christian Laursen
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