ZFS on root, serial console install

[Adriaan]

On Fri, Feb 12, 2010 at 7:27 AM, Charles Sprickman <spork at bway.net> wrote:
> Any hints on that one?
>
> I finally got around to getting dhcp/tftp/nfs setup on an internal network
> to perform normal installs (and with some pxelinux hackery, the ability to
> boot a DOS disk or memtest86 disk images).
>
> Sysinstall in general is kind of an unweildy beast over serial, but one
> thing I was not able to accomplish was to get a shell (no extra virtual
> consoles on serial) or attempt any mounting of fixit media.  From my last
> install that put ZFS on root, I had to do quite a bit of tapdancing since I
> had no DVD or bootable USB media - lots of switching from the install disk
> to fixit, which brought me to many chicken and egg moments.  I did it
> though...
>
> But remotely, I'm not seeing a good way to do this.  If mfsroot were larger
> and had more tools, then I'd be in business.  This is probably the direction
> I need to get shoved in.
>
> I've looked at some other options with pxelinux and perhaps booting the mini
> ISO, but I'm not sure that gets me anywhere.
>
> Any tips?  This isn't a make or break situation, I live 15 minutes from the
> colo...  It's more of a quest. :)
>

I would installl a small UFS FBSD system of 1 or 2 Gig on say ad0s1.
That gives you more then the equivalent of a fixit CD. You then use
this mini system as base to install the "real one" on the other
slice(s)

After having finished the install, you use fdisk to change the active
slice to the new install and reboot.