Install FreeBSD using Windows desktop and PXE

[Eir Nym]

-- Eir Nym



On 24 October 2011 13:23, Eir Nym <eirnym at gmail.com> wrote:
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> On 24 Oct 2011, at 11:10, Matthew Seaman <m.seaman at infracaninophile.co.uk> wrote:
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>> On 24/10/2011 02:18, Eir Nym wrote:
>>> I want to install FreeBSD to my second box and I have only Windows 7
>>> x64 desktop without CD drives.
>>> 1. I have access to remote FreeBSD server (via SSH) where I can make
>>> custom FreeBSD installation in any format.
>>> 2. I know how to create TFTP/DHCPD/PXE server to boot loader and kernel.
>>>
>>> So questions are:
>>> 1) Do I able to boot some minimal FreeBSD environment without NFS aka
>>> embedded BSD to install fully functional environment? What things
>>> should I do to boot up it?
>>> How can I use Crunch/MFS_ROOT ??
>>
>> You should be able to PXE boot FreeBSD and then mount a copy of one of
>> the install DVDs by NFS from where you can run the system installer.
>> That is, you mount the root filesystem via NFS while you're running the
>> installer.
>>
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> There's simple tftp server for Windows with dhcpd features. But NFS server becomes available only in Windows 2008 platform.
>
>> In principle this should be enough for you to install FreeBSD locally on
>> your second machine.  This is quite unusual stuff, and probably not as
>> well tested as more orthodox installation mechanisms.
>>
>> It might be simpler if you can install from a USB memory stick image.
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> I'm looking for USB image

I'm looking for USB image writer which works in Windows 7 to write raw
image to USB drive

>>
>>> 2) How can I write it to Flash drive in Windows 7?
>>> dd/flashnul/rawrite/rawcopy/etc are not working under this OS: it
>>> blocks access to drives even administrative rights.
>>
>> If you can boot the install media, then you aren't running Windows 7 any
>> more, and the restrictions imposed by that OS simply don't apply.
>>
>>    Cheers,
>>
>>    Matthew
>>
>> --
>> Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil.                   7 Priory Courtyard
>>                                                  Flat 3
>> PGP: http://www.infracaninophile.co.uk/pgpkey     Ramsgate
>> JID: matthew at infracaninophile.co.uk               Kent, CT11 9PW
>>
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