Re: {pico, tiny, nano}BSD, FreesBIE

On Wed, 11 Oct 2006, Julian Elischer wrote:

> Some people have asked me about why we have so many different ways to make 
> images..
>
> I had a quick look for a page on the site that holds this sort of thing but 
> didn't spot it..

Sounds like precisely this list of differences should be in the handbook or 
such somewhere. :-)

Robert N M Watson
Computer Laboratory
University of Cambridge

>
> Here's quick comparison from my perspective.
>
> In order of increasing size:
>
> PicoBSD compiles from the given sources and can thus build cross
> revision, or with a lot more tailored stuff.
> Using the crunch gives TRULY tiny images.. (a 4MB image is
> possible I think) A bit fiddly but the only way to go on a
> machine with a really small image requirement.
> I like it for [34]86 class machines with 8MB ram.
> (If you can get a boot media)
> it used to be possible to get it all on a floppy but I don;t think
> that is now possible due to kernel growth.
>
> NanoBSD compiles, and is capable of being set to build a cross image of
> a different architecture.
> Different compile options can be used from the build system,
> e.g. you could leave out support for kerberos or similar and get a
> different version of telnet.
>
> TinyBSD uses the precompiled binaries on the building system. Thus it
> can not make a crossbuilt image, or one based on a different
> revision. (It does however make a custom kernel) It is however
> REALLY fast.. It is interactive to some extent and can make an image which 
> will run off the boot media or create a memory filesystem
> image. (select at build time). In size it is similar to
> NanoBSD but 'simpler', though less flexible. Still needs a little
> work for running off a USB stick but works fine in mfs mode.
>
> FreeSBIE is another option. it is designed to make not only a
> basic image but to include all sorts of packages and possibly
> configure them. Targetted at media the size of a CD.
> it builds everything from scratch and can this be very tailored.
> more flexible than tinyBSD, but more work too.
>
> In addition there is Monowall and pfsense (monowall.org, pfsense.com)
> though I haven't played with them.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> 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"
>