/boot like linux!

[Jesse Guardiani]

On Thursday 03 March 2005 5:41 pm, you wrote:
> Jesse Guardiani wrote:
> 
> >Hello,
> >
> >I'm a FreeBSD 5.3 user as well as a Gentoo Linux user.
> >In Gentoo linux, you only have to create 3 partitions:
> >
> >/boot
> >swap
> >/
> >
> >In FreeBSD, you seem to have to create many more:
> >
> >/
> >swap
> >/usr
> >/var
> >/tmp
> >
> >In particular, it seems that /boot MUST be on the same
> >partition as /. This stinks, as now you have to create
> >separate partitions for /usr and /var, which wastes space.
> >
> >I tried to make /boot it's own partition, and I succeeded,
> >to a certain extent. I actually made /boot/boot, because
> >the FreeBSD 5.3 boot manager wants to look under the /boot
> >directory for "loader". If /boot is it's own partition, then
> >you need a /boot/boot/loader.
> >
> >Anyway, that worked. The kernel boots now, but it prompts
> >me at the beginning of the rc process for the root device.
> >I give it:
> >
> >ufs:ad1s1d
> >
> >Which is my / partition, and it boots successfully.
> >Is it possible to automate this process so that the loader
> >knows to use ad1s1d as my root device?
> >
> >Thanks!
> >
> >  
> >
> I'm not sure I understand the problem. If you don't want to create more 
> partitions, then don't. You can make an 80gb (or 300gb, or whatever) 
> drive into two partitions - a swap partition (2gig) and a / partition 
> (78 gig) and install FreeBSD just fine.

Doesn't the boot partition have to NOT have soft updates though?
I created the setup you described about a year ago with 5.2.1, and
I had serious problems if the system ever hard rebooted after a
power failure. Single user manual fsck's and all that.


> It's *best* to make more  
> partitions (esp for /var) so that if something goes out of control 
> logging, or you just neglect your logs, it doesn't go and fill up your 
> only (ie / ) partition. Like most *nix OS's, it can be as simple or as 
> complicated as you want it to be.

I want / + /boot. It's that simple.

-- 
Jesse Guardiani, Systems Administrator
WingNET Internet Services,
P.O. Box 2605 // Cleveland, TN 37320-2605
423-559-LINK (v)  423-559-5145 (f)
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