FreeBSD from Scratch

[Matthew Seaman]

Rich Mayo wrote:
> Is anyone on the list familiar with the "Linux from Scratch" project?
> More to the point, is anybody aware if there is anything like a "FreeBSD
> from Scratch" project??

As I understand it, Linux from Scratch is all about building a Linux box
without using the packaging etc. provided by any of the various Linux
distributions.  The challenge is to take all of the source code from
all of the various development groups and integrate it into a working
system yourself.

The concept doesn't really map onto FreeBSD.  The OS -- kernel, system
libraries, standard applications -- is developed as a unified thing.
There aren't really any alternate distributions in the same sense as
there are for Linux, although projects like Freesbie, pfsense and
DesktopBSD are heading in that sort of direction.

Once you've downloaded the system sources, done a make buildworld etc.,
installed everything and rebooted[*], that's it: done.  You've got a
working FreeBSD system.  Which kind of takes away the point of the 'from
Scratch' idea.  It's too easy...

Third party software installed from ports is literally compiling from
source code as Linux from Scratch advocates -- OK, software installed
from ports does get registered in the pkg system, and it can be bundled
up into a pkg tarball and copied to another machine to be installed
there (which is  exactly what the packages are on the FreeBSD FTP sites).
But that's just an aid to keeping things properly maintained.

Either every FreeBSD box is 'FreeBSD from Scratch' or none of them are. 

	Cheers,

	Matthew

[*] Actually, it's a little more involved than that, and of course you
should follow the detailed instructions in the handbook.  But that's
the general gist.

-- 
Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil.                       7 Priory Courtyard
                                                      Flat 3
PGP: http://www.infracaninophile.co.uk/pgpkey         Ramsgate
                                                      Kent, CT11 9PW

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