Installing FreeBSD on HP Computer that is using software RAID 5

[Matthew Seaman]

On 04/01/2019 13:52, Carmel NY wrote:
> According to my FreeBSD PC, the latest version is "12.0-RELEASE-p1". I
> have scoured the FreeBSD website; however I do not see a downloadable
> ISO available for the version. So, unless I am mistaken, I would have
> to install the Stable version and then upgrade. Personally, and I mean
> no offense to anyone, but I find that to be total "BS". Obviously, your
> opinion may differ.

Ah... Patch levels are not releases.  That is, for an errata or security 
fix they do not regenerate the entire set of release images and put them 
on the website.  So, yeah -- you'll find installer images for FreeBSD 
12.0-RELEASE but you will then need to apply the patches to get to 
12.0-RELEASE-p1

The reason for that is principally because the pN patch levels are 
mostly used for security fixes, and it's important to get those out PDQ. 
  The process of building all of the installer images simply takes too 
long.  Indeed, there was an occasion fairly recently when a pretty 
serious SA came out pretty much in the middle of building the release 
bits, and the upshot was the release was delayed a week or so and 
eventually came out as X.Y-RELEASE-p1.

Also be aware that the terminology 'stable' means something completely 
different to most FreeBSD people than the way you're apparently using 
it.  '12.0-STABLE' is a development branch which is called STABLE 
because it is meant to run stably, not because it doesn't change.  This 
is a different usage to much of the rest of the world.  What can I say? 
The FreeBSD project does things a bit differently, and it isn't going to 
change the way it has been doing stuff for the last 20+ years just for 
the sake of conformity to some else's arbitrary nomenclature.

	Cheers,

	Matthew