[nycbug-talk] Headless FreeBSD Install

[Mark Sams]

Hi,

Due to poor planning, I have no monitor available to setup a new server from home. I do have a serial cable, and a laptop, so I am trying to do a headless serial install, without too much luck. The handbook "Advanced Installation Guide" refers only to creating floppies, which I do not have either. 

I have tried booting without a keyboard to see if FreeBSD 6.2 would default to the serial port - but I didn't see any output. The other suggestion is to wait for the "beep" and press 6, then type "boot -h".  However those instructions are old, as there is no longer a beep. I tried some random intervals of pressing 6 and typing "boot -h" without success. Of course it could be my serial connection is not configured properly (115200, 8 bits, no parity, 1, no flow control) but I am unsure until I can at least get past the boot -h step.

I tried to force the -h step by unpacking disc1 and adding /boot/loader -h to /boot/boot.config, but I am not sure how to create the iso properly (or if this is even the correct change). My laptop is Windows, and the unpacked iso is almost 1GB. When I recreate the changed iso with mkisofs or ISO recorder it leaves it at 1GB, which doesn't fit on a CD so I can't even test it. Does any have any other suggestions I can try before lugging this thing across town to a monitor?

Thanks in advance.




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