Bare Metal Recovery FreeBSD How To

[Kevin Kinsey]

Nuno Gonçalves wrote:

> I am trying to do a Bare Metal Recovery from a FreeBSD 6.0 system to a
> different Hardware.
> 
> I have a backup from all partitions of the affected system so I am trying to
> install a minimum FreeBSD 6.0 in a different hardware which I already have
> up and running.

What kind of backup?  Is it a dump(8) file?
 
> I created a Swap Partition, a “/” partition where the minimum system is
> running, and a third partition “/backup” in which I will restore the backup
> through the network.
> 
> Next step will be to change the boot manager and make it boot through
> “/backup”.
> 
> Do you guys think this is doable?
> 
> I Think I probably must recompile the kernel after the bare metal recovery
> because the hardware is different, still do you think it might work?

Did the kernel have a lot of customization?  A GENERIC kernel should
boot on almost anything --- which is why "bare metal recovery" seems 
a misnomer to me.  If the hard disk survives, I simply stick it in 
another box and rarely have any difficulties.  If it doesn't, I do
a minimal install with the desired final slice/partition scheme on 
the new HDD, and simply restore(8) over the top.

> What is your opinion on this? What should be the best approach ?

Well, I don't know your exact situation, but OOTOMH, the partitioning
scheme you mention seems like wasting a disk unless you want the
final system to have only /, swap, and /backup.  Which could be
OK, I guess, but isn't the traditional BSD Right Way(tm).

Also, I'd consider installing a newer release than 6.0, and only
restoring the important stuff.  Again, it depends on your situation.

My $.02,

Kevin Kinsey
-- 
You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.
		-- Sherlock Holmes, A Study in Scarlet