FreeBSD questions

[Dun'kalis]

I'm wanting to try something different, namely FreeBSD, but I have a few questions:

I can add FreeBSD to LILO, right?
If I prefer, can I install bash over tcsh?

I am a Linux guy, so I know nothing about FreeBSD.

Oh, and if I install Gentoo instead, does emerge pause downloads? And could I chroot from Debian while I download critical stuff like X?

[gfunkmonk]

I assume you can add FreeBSD to lilo, I know you can with Grub, at least I could with NetBSD...

On Gentoo, if you are downloading source files for an emerge, and you control C kill it, and then later try to emerge the package again, the download will pick up where it left off...

When I dualbooted Debain and Gentoo, I used to chroot into my Debian partition, and downloaded new debs, and install them. So, there shouldn't be a problem..

[bdl]

Originally posted by Dun'kalis
I'm wanting to try something different, namely FreeBSD, but I have a few questions:

I can add FreeBSD to LILO, right?
If I prefer, can I install bash over tcsh?

I am a Linux guy, so I know nothing about FreeBSD.


Yes, you can add FreeBSD to both LILO or Grub if you wish. When you install FreeBSD, choose NOT to install the bootloader into the MBR, it will install it into the FreeBSD 'slice' instead. When it's all installed, just add that partition to LILO or Grub as a secondary boot loader like so:


# example lilo.conf

boot=/dev/hda2 # your linux boot partition

...normal config options...

other=/dev/hda3 # the partition or 'slice' FreeBSD is on
label=FreeBSD


image=/boot/vmlinuz
label=linux
root=/dev/hda2 # your linux root partition
read-only

# eof


Here's what your grub config would look like:

# menu.lst - grub config file

#---
title FreeBSD
rootnoverify (hd0,2) # freebsd partition /dev/hda3
chainloader +1
#---
title Linux
root (hd0,1) # linux partition /dev/hda2
kernel /boot/vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2
#---

# eof


As far as adding the bash shell, you can do that upon install also. When the install is just about through, you can add your own packages to the installation. Look under 'Shells' for bash-2 and install it along with everything else. It will be installed under /usr/local/bin/bash and upon final config when you add a user to the system, just make the users shell /usr/local/bin/bash. Simple. Of course you can do this at any time once the system is up and running, just later you'll need to change the users default shell, you can do this with 'chpass' or just edit the /etc/passwd file.

I should mention, when you do install FreeBSD, make sure you have a bootdisk to get back into Linux! It may make the partition you install it on active and you won't be able to get back into anything else. Another tip to make life a little easier, understand that FreeBSD installs it's own little logical partitions within it's own single partition or 'slice'. So it must be installed on a primary, and it will do its own thing within that primary partition. I advise NOT to have any other logical partitions behind it, especially if you have linux / freebsd configured to view other filesystem types. YMMV.

Hope this clears a couple of things up for you. Luck!

[Dun'kalis]

Thanks, its going on my slave drive. Another quick question: How long would it take to install a basic system on a 56k? I can get X at a future date. Thats what I've always done with Debian.

[gfunkmonk]

There is a mini ISO on the freebsd ftp, that installs just a base system.

Its about 130 Megs or so I think,...

[Dun'kalis]

If I install via FTP, could I pause and start d/ling later?

[Alex Cavnar, aka alc6379]

You could use wget.

wget -c <name of ftp path to iso>

That will get it, and if you need to continue it, just cd back to the directory the file is stored at locally and run the command again.

Note, though, that I think the -c (continue) option only works with FTP...