Building amd64 kernel problems (missing kernel configuration files)

[b. f.]

> I am have a fresh install of FreeBSD 8.0 i386 and need to install an amd64
> kernel.
>
> I have copied /usr/src/sys/amd64/conf/GENERIC to
> /usr/src/sys/amd64/conf/JERRY

Support for cross-building is limited in the FreeBSD base system.
/usr/src/Makefile states:

"# If TARGET=machine (e.g. ia64, sparc64, ...) is specified you can
# cross build world for other machine types using the buildworld target,
# and once the world is built you can cross build a kernel using the
# buildkernel target."


but there are unwritten limitations, and this requires some care.
See, for example, developers running into problems even with i386 -->
amd64:

http://bsdimp.blogspot.com/2006/09/cross-building-freebsd.html

The fact that you are asking how to do this on the freebsd-questions
list probably means that you should _not_ be cross-building.

_Don't_ try to run an amd64 kernel with i386 world, or vice versa.
With some patches and tweaking you may get a few things to work, but
you're asking for trouble.

It would be better to get an amd64 installation disk, back up your
data, and do a re-installation from scratch, or at least a binary
upgrade of the existing base system, and then build a custom kernel
and world, if that's what you want to do.

b.