Howto Install FreeBSD on your system.

Extra goodies for FreeBSD

First you need to consider if you want to install freebsd from a CD-ROM or over the network. If you have a bootable CD-ROM drive and a fairly recent version of FreeBSD, I would recommend installing from the CD-ROM.If you have a plenty of bandwith and a bit more time, you should choose to install it over the network.

If you install FreeBSD over the Net, you have to create boot floppies, so you can load a basic kernel to work from. You can find floppy images here.

You will only need to images to make the installation. You need the kern.flp and the mfsroot.flp images. If you are making the floppies from a UNIX box, the process is quite simpel:

dd if=kern.flp of=/dev/fd0
Where kern.flp is the image you need to put on the disk. /dev/fd0 is your floppy device, and maybe changed to fit your system.

You should label the floppy with kern.flp : Disk #1, and the one with mfsroot.flp : Disk #2.

If you are using a Windows system, you should download the tool fdimage.exe. When you have downloaded the two images and fdimage.exe, issue the following command in a dos prompt: (assuming he three files are in the same directory, and a blank floppy is in the floppydrive.)

fdimage.exe kern.flp a:\
Do the same with the mfsroot.flp image.

Installation.
Now you should be ready to install FreeBSD. Make sure that your BIOS is setup to boot on your floppy drive, (or if you are using a CD-ROM, the CD-ROM drive).
Insert the floppy labeled kern.flp Disk #1 in the floppy drive, and reboot your machine. Insert the the second floppy when prompted.

You should now a window, asking you about configuration options. Choose the first option, and press enter.

Your GENERIC kernel is now booting up, and you can proceed with the installation. If is hangs, or you get errors - please make sure that your hardware is supported by FreeBSD.

In the menu, you should choose Standard Installation (which is also the recommended option).

The first part of the Installation Guide, is about the disk (HD). It show you which partions already exists one the HD. (FreeBSD can easily co-exists with OS types, fx. Windows). Let's assume, that on this particular HD, you have had Windows NT installed, but now you will use it entirely for FreeBSD...

The screen will show that you have a NTFS partition, select the partion and press 'd' NB: You should only delete this slice, if you are absolutely sure that you know what you are doing. This will cause all data on the NTFS partition to be deleted.
The HD should now be completely empty, and only one slice should be visible in the window. Press 'a', for using the entire HD for FreeBSD. Now press 'q' for saving the changes, and continue.

[I will continue when I have some time]


Michael Hostbaek <[email protected]>