Looking for the right "FreeBSD.iso"

[Jerry McAllister]

On Mon, Oct 27, 2008 at 12:34:42AM +0100, LennyCZ wrote:

> Hello!
> 
>      I would like to try FreeBSD on my machine, but I did not find any
> information regarding the ISO files on FreeBSD FTP sites.
> 
>      For example, in ISO directory for 7.0 release, I found these files:
> 
> 7.0-RELEASE-i386-bootonly.iso
> 7.0-RELEASE-i386-disc1.iso
> 7.0-RELEASE-i386-disc2.iso
> 7.0-RELEASE-i386-disc3.iso
> 7.0-RELEASE-i386-docs.iso
> 7.0-RELEASE-i386-livefs.iso
> 
>      Please could you tell me which files I exactly need to download & burn
> to install a "normal" FreeBSD installation? Do I need all three *-disc[n]
> discs? If so, is there a DVD version available?

First of all, this is well documented in the handbook and in some FAQs
and other hand-holding documents.

Second, it depends on how you do the install.  If you are able to do
it over the net, then you only need the ---disc1.iso.   Burn it, boot from
it and then when the install process asks, select installing via ftp over
the net and pick a promising mirror.    It works very well.

>      Maybe I am wrong, but I feel it shouldn't be necessary to waste 3 CDs
>    from installation if I have a high-speed permanent Internet connection.
> So
> wouldn't just 1 DVD-RW do?

Basically, you are wrong, because you haven't looked far enough in to
things to know that FreeBSD has done it that way from the beginning
(or almost that far back).    I have never done a complete install from
a CD or DVD, but just acquired the first disk, booted the install program 
and then done the install over the net.   I've been doing that for more 
than 10 years and am far from being an early adopter.   Others have
done so much longer.

But, some people are [still] not in the positition to be able to 
do installs over the net.   Their service is inadequate or, in some
cases they are not even connected, so the whole system is made available
to them on disk as well.

Actually, I believe, if you are doing just the FreeBSD install, and
not at the same time installing some of the ports, it is still layed
out to need only the first CD even if you are not installing over the 
net.   But, I haven't checked recent versions.  The other CDs contain 
the sources for various ports and some special case things.

> 
>      Anyway, I believe that I'll enjoy FreeBSD and I'm looking forward to
> see
> it on my home machine and on my testing machine @ work :-)

Check out the documentation.    Unlike some other systems, it is actually
helpful.

////jerry


> 
> Thanks for your time!
> 
> Greetings,
> Alois "LennyCZ" Mahdal
> 
> 
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