FreeBSD Standard installation

step-by-step instructions

written by Patrick Viet - [email protected]
scope: FreeBSD 4.x (mainly, 4.4 and 4.5)

Install base system

Startup

• choose "Full Screen CLI Visual mode"
  • delete all network cards (this will create useless conflicts otherwise)
  • leave the rest as is
  • quit this menu with "q" key (a on azerty), and confirm with y.

Choose "standard" installation mode

• partitionning
  • delete the existing partition(s)
  • create a full size partition with "a" key (q on azerty)
  • quit menu with "q" (a on azerty)
    
    
• boot manager
  • choose "standard" (2nd choice)
    
    
• disk label editor
  • distribution of the disk space depends on the box. remember as a thumb rule that these slices must be created :
    / , /var, /tmp, /usr and a swap partition about twice the size of the physical RAM.
    eg. : mx5.euredit.net, with 4GB hdd :
    • / 100MB
    • swap 100MB
    • /var 1200MB (it's a mail server, needs a reasonable spool)
    • /tmp 100MB
    • /usr ~ 2000MB (the rest of the hdd)
      
      
• choosing distribution sets
  • go to "custom" menu. packages we need are:
    • bin (base eh)
    • compat 2.2, compat 3.x (we use some outdated binary software)
    • crypto, doc, info, man, src (all of it), local
  • then exit menu and choose CD/DVD installation. this is the end of first part.

Second part of base install : basic configuration

• would you like to configure network devices >> YES
  • check the Euredit network topology for standard setup such as naming, gateway, etc.
    
    
• answer NO to the next questions, from "shall this machine function as a network gateway" to "configure security"
  
  
• customize console >> YES
  • keymap : fr.iso (accent)
  • saver : logo (I like it)
    
    
• select time zone >> YES
  • CMOS on UTC time >> YES
  • Europe/France, CET is the right zone.
    
    
• enable linux binary compat >> NO
  
  
• browse software collection >> YES
  • go in "all" and select *only* "bash-2.5"
  • install
• create some initial accounts >> NO (they will be created manually later)
  
  
• choose wisely your root password
  
  
• last chance to visit configuration options >> NO
  
  
• exit, reboot, don't forget to take out the cdrom.
  
  

Third part of base install : a bit of tuning

• login as root at prompt
  
  
• (fixme: MOTD)
  
  
• edit /etc/rc.conf file
  • change these lines, let the others unchanged
    sendmail_enable="NO"
    usbd_enable="NO"
    save file.
  • don't forget to kill sendmail
    # killall -9 sendmail
    our servers should not listen for mail by default, especially with sendmail.
    
    
• delete root's default dotfiles
  • # cd ; ls -al | awk '{ print $9 ; }' | xargs rm
    (don't worry about the error msg)
    
    
• bash setup
  • move bash to root slice (partition) :
    # mv /usr/local/bin/bash /bin/bash
  • update /etc/shells as it should, taking off the "/usr/local" before bash.
    
    
• root's chsh
  • # chsh
  • change Charlie & to "box root", such as "mx5 root"
  • change /bin/csh to /bin/bash
  • save
• /etc/profile tuning
  • edit the file, adding at the end of it :
    export PS1='(\u@\h \w)\$ '
  • save, logout and log back into your shell, and see the difference.
    
    
• prepare adduser.conf
  • create /etc/adduser.conf with this content:
    
    --- start ---
    verbose = 0
    defaultpasswd = yes
    dotdir = "no"
    send_message = "no"
    config = "/etc/adduser.conf"
    logfile = "/var/log/adduser"
    home = "/home"
    path = ('/bin', '/usr/bin', '/usr/local/bin')
    shellpref = ('csh', 'sh', 'bash', 'tcsh', 'ksh', 'no', 'date')
    defaultshell = "bash"
    defaultgroup = USER
    defaultclass = ""
    uid_start = "1000"
    --- eof ----
    
    
• setup default forward root mail
  • # echo "[email protected]" > ~root/.forward