Installing a FreeBSD from Scratch From a Linux Box?

[Thomas Mueller]

from Hunter Jozwiak:

> I am curious as to whether or not this is actually possible. The idea
> is to install FreeBSD from scratch using a Linux live disc akin to how
> one would install Gentoo. That means that I would create the
> filesystems, mount them on partitions, download and build the sources,
> chroot in, and do configuration that way. The main reason is that
> since there is no talking live installer for the visually impaired, it
> would be difficult to get an install going without sighted assistance.
> Any thoughts/ideas are welcome.
         
> Hunter

This looks like the reverse of Cross Linux from Scratch, where you might build Linux from FreeBSD, NetBSD or other non-Linux OS.

One problem is how to write to a FreeBSD UFS file system from Linux, which as far as I know can read but not write UFS 1 or 2.  Build an installation .iso or USB-stick image?

But some people have cross-compiled NetBSD from Linux, despite the same filesystem issue.

I have cross-compiled NetBSD from FreeBSD, but am not sure if that can be done the other way around.

I believe cross-compiling FreeBSD from another OS is officially unsupported; this is also true for OpenBSD and OpenIndiana.  There are some things you could possibly try, build the toolchain first, but you're essentially on your own in uncharted territory.

There is a NetBSD guide on cross-compiling NetBSD from another OS, this might possibly be adapted to cross-compiling FreeBSD, but I never tried that and make no promises.

This is without regard to being visually impaired, which would complicate the issue more.

Tom