Build your own ISO-install-CD?

[Kevin Kinsey]

Ewald Jenisch wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I need to build my own ISO-install-CD for FreeBSD 6.2. Is this
> possible (given an up-to-date /usr/src tree)? 

IIRC, you actually need a CVS tree outside of /usr/src, unless your 
/usr/src is actually a repo copy of the CVS tree.  It's been a while, so 
maybe I'm wrong on that.

> If yes, how?

I did this once, back after 6.0, for the experience as much as anything 
I can remember now.  I don't seem to find any notes, however.

release(7) is the canonical reference, and you should be able to do this 
after a fairly thorough study of same.

> Will this process build build a "mini"-CD or a full "Disc1"?

It depends on what you tell it to do.  If MAKE_ISOS is defined, you will 
get all of the ISO's that are built with any standard release.  I don't 
know if there are any variables to control *which* of the ISO's might be 
omitted, etc.  I'm thinking maybe not, but IANAE.

> Can this "home-brewn" install-CD be used instead of the Disc1 of the
> 6.2 CD-set when installing a machine from scratch?

I don't see why not, as that is what it is designed for.  We used 
"OurCompany-6.0-RELEASE" on a few servers back then.

> Will it prompt for the second CD containing the various
> packages?

It should behave as any other of the FBSD CDs, providing you follow the 
instructions and burn the CD correctly.

> Thanks in advance for any clue,
> -ewald
> 
> PS: Just for explanation: The original 6.2 install-CDs don't support a
> specific NIC I've got in my blade-systems. A new-version of the
> corresponding driver has already been submitted though. In order to
> avoid the "chicken-and-egg-problem" (i.e. can't update the source
> since the machine can't connect to the net when installed via the
> original 6.2 CDs) I thought about building a custom 6.2 CD install set
> from a machine that has up-to-date 6.2 sources.

A good reason to give it a try, I suppose.  The Friendly manual is what 
you need, plus a bit of time for reading/planning and a fairly fast 
build machine --- or a *lot* of time on a slower box.  Happy release(7)-ing!

Kevin Kinsey
-- 
1 + 1 = 3, for large values of 1.