Network install...

[RTFM]

I have two computers,

1. my main box (p2-400mhz, 96 megs of ram) running FreeBSD 4.3

2. my secondary box (pentium-100mhz 16 megs of ram) running Slackware linux 7.1

I want to do a network install of NetBSD onto the p100, but here is the catch :)

I dont know how :) -- what do I have to do in order to get the NetBSD installer to look on my main box for the NetBSD cdrom(s)? Thanks.

[Gnu/Vince]

Why not put the CD in the box you want to install NetBSD to? If it doesn't have one, you can just take a cdrom, put it on your p100, install NetBSD, then remove it. Or do you have highspeed internet access? You could install by FTP. NetBSD can also be installed from a NFS, so just copy the cd on a small partition and that should do the trick.

[RTFM]

I do have a cdrom that works, but it is in Moms computer, and I was *VERY* lucky to be allowed to put a nic card in her computer, I truly doubt she would let me take her cdrom out. Also, I truly wonder how well a 50x cdrom would work on a p100 :)

I only have a 56k connection.

I dont really have enough free hard drive space on this computer to copy the entire cdrom to, and even then I dont know how to do NFS.

Could I setup an FTP server with the root dir as being /cdrom and do a network install thatta way ?

[freebsd]

>> Could I setup an FTP server with the root dir as being /cdrom and do a network install thatta way ?

Why not? Taking out your mom's CDROM is not recommended. You would have to recompile the kernel and disable the cdrom device to optimize the performance.

Anyhow, I recommend installing via NFS. Enabling NFS daemon is plain easy (alter your rc.conf). Of course, you can't use that if you have recompiled your kernel and disabled NFS explicitly.

[RTFM]

hmmm... why NFS? why not setup an ftp server with the root dir as being /cdrom ?

Also, I did disable NFS from my kernel :o

[GuruWannabe]

Originally posted by tminos:
<STRONG>hmmm... why NFS? why not setup an ftp server with the root dir as being /cdrom ?

Also, I did disable NFS from my kernel :o</STRONG>

I've installed FreeBSD both ways. The ftp install is crotchety at best. The NFS install is very smooth. In fact, I've even done a make world with my source tree NFS mounted!

[freebsd]

NFS and FTP install are basically the same. NFS requires less resources and install faster. Likewise, FTP install fetches the tarball, then uncompress it.

[Gnu/Vince]

Well, I suggest you go with the FTP/NFS suggestion. You just put the content of the CD for like 10 minutes...

[freebsd]

What's more? He gets to learn something new - NFS. Especially for multiple BSDs boxes so FreeBSD box can share the /usr/ports/distfiles to NetBSD's /usr/pkgsrc/distfiles.