Creating a mini install disk, for particular needs

[Chris Phillips]

Hi all,

I'm not sure if this is OK posting here, but I'm sure that you'll 
correct me if I've been imprudent.

I am trying to find a suitable alternative to our crappy, solid-state, 
thin client boxes (because they are so awfully unreliable & the 
manufacturer has also gone down the tubes).

We need a fairly painless way, to roll out a fresh install onto some 
random i386 hardware we have lying around (there's a plentiful supply), 
for any new users, who require a basic functioning GUI, with access to 
graphical email client, web browser & 'rdesktop' (for the windows 
applications, that they are all hooked on).

What I'd love to be able to do, is to create a FreeBSD (it's my 
favorite) CD, that contains all that I need for these basic systems. 
Either, set up so that the install is automated, with just the minimal 
of setup, or so that it's got all the packages that I want & can all be 
installed straight off the CD (perhaps by choosing the "All Packages" 
option).

Is what I've described actually possible?

Would anyone be willing or able, to guide me toward a good resource that 
I can get reading?

It would be very cool, if I could do this for our company.  More bums on 
seats, for FreeBSD :)

I eagerly look forward to any responses, thank you.

Kind Regards,


Chris Phillips

Scanned for viruses by MailDefender