Re: Fwd: How do I instal Dragonfly BSD from a hard drive - rather than CD?

[Hiten Pandya <hmp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Martin P. Hellwig wrote:
> If I remember correctly, current ghost (that image software) has an 
> option to install a ghost client on a NT machine.
> That client can receive a message that it should reboot in PC-DOS and 
> load ghost, so when it receives that message it does the following:
> - create a list of tasks
> - Copy the mbr
> - Install "ghost" mbr

Martin,

We don't even to go to this level of trouble.  I remember BSDInstaller
has the ability to do recorded installations using an "answer file"
type information, I think it's called .pif, could be wrong.

Such a windows tool should reside on the LiveCD, so when someone inserts
it into a Windows sytem, it runs through autorun.inf, wham bam, walks
the user through various parts of the configuration process, validating
it, and producing such a file, store it on either the C: drive, or a
floppy disk (I would prefer the former).  The windows tool would then
go ahead and reboot the machine.

After the reboot is done, we need a step where ntfs.ko or msdosfs.ko is
loaded up depending on what the system partition is.  The RCNG process
on the LiveCD (not for a normally installed system) would offer the user
an option for "probing" the disks for the answer file, if it finds one,
it just fires off BSDInstaller with it, and there is your installation
pretty much done, since all configuration and installation information
was recorded through the Windows based GUI tool.

I admit some of my details are sketchy but it is definitely doable.  We
can avoid ALL the hassle of being able to read UFS in Windows, etc etc.
Such a tool can be rapidly prototyped using Visual Basic 6/.NET, and
or some 4th generation language.  Whatever it is written in, it should
be self-contained and not require installation on Windows; maybe even
Python and wxWindows ?  It's very possible in other words with various
choices.

Kind regards,

Hiten Pandya
hmp at dragonflybsd.org