Installing OpenBSD through serial console.

[ihsan]

Hello all,

I'm building a small firewall and PPP dialer box for use in my home and I'm trying to learn to install the OS through serial console. The hardware involved is a conventional PC sans the keyboard, mouse and video card. I have the parts at my disposal but I don't intend to use unless I have to.

I have a FreeBSD box ready at my disposal as the console, an OpenBSD box serving as NFS storage serving OpenBSD and FreeBSD install files. The PC in question is bare, just assembled but without the aforementioned components.

Is there a way to install the OS through it or do I have to install the OS using the conventional means. I've seen references that points into managing a remote connection but not installing.

Thank you in advance.

 

[ihsan]

... Is there a way to install the OS through it or do I have to install the OS using the conventional means. I've seen references that points into managing a remote connection but not installing. ...

To clarify,

I've used tip in FreeBSD to setup routers before but the OSes had been flashed and pre-setup inside the box. As for installing them, I hope someone can enlighten me of the possibility.

 

[CougTek]

I'm not sure it will help you, but using Google, I found this. Go to the section abouut "diskless setup". That's all I can do for you. I'm not a BSD guru (I haven't installed it yet).

 

[honold]

just modify the boot method you're using (floppy or cd image) to use it...

you can use vn devices in any other fbsd/obsd box to mount the boot images and modify them

http://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq7.html#SerCon

 

[ihsan]

Thank you guys for the references.

Using vn maybe a little too deep for me at the moment, so I'll just stick to installing them by conventional method and do a remote management by the serial line.

 

[honold]

if using vn is too deep for you, keeping your system secure is going to be as well

 

[ihsan]

if using vn is too deep for you, keeping your system secure is going to be as well

Got that.

I do know how to use vn to setup additional swap space, however to setup and mount a miniroot partition, that's something that I need to improve upon.

Thanks for pointing it out.