Re: USB Key Disk Boot

Doug,

Thanks for the info.

Most USB keys don't have a rw/ro switch. Is there a kernel flag you can set
to tell FreeBSD that boot device is flash and that writes should be kept to
a minimum? Can swap space be completely done away with?

Thanks!

Joe

On 11/2/04 11:51 AM, "Doug White" <dwhite_at_gumbysoft.com> wrote:

> On Tue, 2 Nov 2004, joe mcguckin wrote:
> 
>> You neglect to state the minimum size USB key for a standard FreeBSD
>> install.
> 
> My 4.X router at home has a fairly complete system install in 128MB.
> Thats without any special pruning whatsover, just base+crypto. With some
> work (minibsd, nanobsd, etc.), you can do alot better than that.
> 
> Note that I creatd that from a second system and dd'd the flash card over
> so UFS wouldnt' burn out the flash, but I suppose you could install direct
> to it if you odn't plan on writing to the key afterward.  UFS does exra
> bad things to flash (think superblock updates), so you don't want to
> leave it read/write for very long.
> 
>> 
>> -joe
>> 
>> 
>> On 11/2/04 12:07 AM, "Thyer, Matthew" <Matthew.Thyer_at_dsto.defence.gov.au>
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> To install onto this device:
>>> 
>>> Simply boot your installation media (CD) and do your installing on the
>>> device
>>> "da0" (the first SCSI device - this is likely to be your USB Key unless you
>>> already have SCSI hard disk drives in your system).
>>> 
>>> As for booting, you will have to understand how to change your BIOS to
>>> ensure
>>> the correct boot order.  Many BIOS's will boot on these devices if you have
>>> "USB-ZIP" as the first boot device.  If that doesn't work try "USB-HDD" or
>>> just "USB".
>>> 
>>> If your Key device is too small to accommodate a minimal install of FreeBSD
>>> then you will need to investigate the more embedded solutions such as
>>> PicoBSD.
>>> This is an advanced topic which will require an experienced UNIX specialist
>>> to
>>> implement.  You may be able to find various how-to type procedures on the
>>> Web
>>> and the FreeBSD handbook should be very useful but this is not something for
>>> the fainthearted.
>>> 
>>> As for the booting process, it is described in the manual page for "boot".
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Matthew Thyer                                 Phone:  +61 8 8259 7249
>>> Science Corporate Information Systems         Fax:    +61 8 8259 5537
>>> Defence Science and Technology Organisation, Edinburgh
>>> PO Box 1500 EDINBURGH South Australia 5111
>>> 
>>> IMPORTANT: This email remains the property of the Australian Defence
>>> Organisation and is subject to the jurisdiction of section 70 of the
>>> CRIMES ACT 1914.  If you have received this email in error, you are
>>> requested to contact the sender and delete the email.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> freebsd-current_at_freebsd.org mailing list
>>> http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-current
>>> To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-current-unsubscribe_at_freebsd.org"
>>> 
>> 
>> 

-- 

Joe McGuckin

ViaNet Communications
994 San Antonio Road
Palo Alto, CA  94303

Phone: 650-213-1302
Cell:  650-207-0372
Fax:   650-969-2124