OpenBSD 3.9 remote installation

[Daniel Staal]

--As of Sunday, May 7, 2006 23:27 +0200, Leines is alleged to have said:

> So I just want to know how to start the OpenBSD 3.9 boot disk on this
> machine. Can I copy the bootdisk into the bootsector (well, I tried, it
> did not worked, but perhaps someone here has an idea...)?

--As for the rest, it is mine.

Very good question.  It probably is possible... *If* you know *exactly* 
what you are doing.  It is not documented or supported at all as far as I 
know.

If you are good enough, you might be able to figure out what you need from 
reading the install scripts on the CD.  Otherwise, *if* you can talk one of 
the developers into helping you, they could probably tell you what need to 
do.

Linux and *BSD aren't that similar; at least not to the machine as it 
boots.  I have no idea what needs changing.  Probably more than you'd think.

Considerably easier, if you could stand paying the money, would be to have 
someone insert the OpenBSD CD and running the install over the remote 
console access.  (Assuming it is a real console, not a terminal.)

Look at it this way: You could spend several hundred dollars worth of your 
time learning exactly what happens when a computer boots up, and how that 
differs under Debian vs. OpenBSD, or you could spend half that time 
learning how to use the OpenBSD once it is booted, by spending the money to 
have someone insert the CD.  If you are really interested in learning how a 
computer boots, the experiment would interesting.  If you have other things 
you'd rather spend your time on, it's easy to avoid.

But there are no manuals for this.  Unless you managed to talk one of the 
actual developers into helping you (and I doubt that), you are on your own. 
It's hard to do, and nearly impossible to document for every system. 
Since, for most users it is easy to avoid, this is not something that's 
been made easy.  *Very* few need it at all.

I wish you luck.

Daniel T. Staal

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