Copying kernel and OS

[Stephen Montgomery-Smith]

Jack Raats wrote:
> I've two machines running FreeBSD 6.0-STABLE.
> One very fast machine and one very very slow machine. On the fast 
> machine I can compile a new kernel and OS very quickly and easily.
> Is it possible to transfer the compile world and kernel to the slow 
> machine. If yes whart directories etc... do i have to transfer.
> 
> Jack

I do something like this.  I build on the fast machine, and then use NFS 
to allow the slow machine to access /usr/src and /usr/obj.  I have found 
that it is important to preserve the names of the directories, so that 
they are also called /usr/src and /usr/obj on the slow machine.  Then I 
just do mergemaster, make installworld, make installkernel (in the 
appropriate order) on the slow machine, and it works like a charm.

The entries in fstab are like this:
hub2:/usr/obj    /usr/obj        nfs     rw,bg,noauto    0       0
hub2:/usr/src    /usr/src        nfs     rw,bg,noauto    0       0
where hub2 is the name of the fast machine.

In /etc/exports on hub2 I have something like this
/usr -maproot=root -alldirs -network 10.0.0.0 -mask 255.255.255.0
(here 10.0.0.0 is the IP addresses of my LAN)

and in /etc/rc.conf on hub2 I have some lines like
nfs_server_enable="YES"
rpcbind_enable="YES"

Then on the slow machine I simply type
mount /usr/src
mount /usr/obj

-- 

Stephen Montgomery-Smith
stephen at math.missouri.edu
http://www.math.missouri.edu/~stephen