Using Install CD To Prepare Hard Disk

I would like to use the CD install menus to only prepare the
hard
disk (Partition, Label, Format) without actually installing
anything on
the drive.  Can this be done?  There seems to be no
"None" option for
Distributions, and I cannot find the right magic to make the
installer
go ahead and prepare the drive w/o resorting to at least a
minimal install.

I assume if the answer is "no" then that means
this has to be done
manually from the fixit command line????

Thanks,
-- 
------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
Tim Daneliuk     tundratundraware.com
PGP Key:         http://www.tundraware.
com/PGP/

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On Mar 13, 2008, at 3:28 PM, Tim Daneliuk wrote:
> I would like to use the CD install menus to only
prepare the hard
> disk (Partition, Label, Format) without actually
installing anything  
> on
> the drive.  Can this be done?

There should be a "(W)rite" option on the various
pages which let you  
at least partition the drive without installing the
software.

> There seems to be no "None" option for
> Distributions, and I cannot find the right magic to
make the installer
> go ahead and prepare the drive w/o resorting to at
least a minimal  
> install.

On the other hand, it would be perfectly reasonable to
attach a new  
drive to a working system and run the fdisk and newfs
commands by hand  
from the CLI or sysinstall, if you prefer doing it that
way...

-- 
-Chuck

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Chuck Swiger wrote:
> On Mar 13, 2008, at 3:28 PM, Tim Daneliuk wrote:
>> I would like to use the CD install menus to only
prepare the hard
>> disk (Partition, Label, Format) without actually
installing anything on
>> the drive.  Can this be done?
> 
> There should be a "(W)rite" option on the
various pages which let you at 
> least partition the drive without installing the
software.

Yup that was the magic - I missed it entirely.  The option
appears
in the label editor menu...

Thanks!


-- 
------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
Tim Daneliuk     tundratundraware.com
PGP Key:         http://www.tundraware.
com/PGP/

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On Friday 14 March 2008 00:49, Tim Daneliuk wrote:
> Chuck Swiger wrote:
> > On Mar 13, 2008, at 3:28 PM, Tim Daneliuk wrote:
> >> I would like to use the CD install menus to
only prepare the hard
> >> disk (Partition, Label, Format) without
actually installing anything on
> >> the drive.  Can this be done?
> >
> > There should be a "(W)rite" option on
the various pages which let you at
> > least partition the drive without installing the
software.
>
> Yup that was the magic - I missed it entirely.  The
option appears
> in the label editor menu...
>
> Thanks!

From memory, isn't it also possible to do this by going into
the Configuration 
menu rather than entering the Standard installation?

Jonathan
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On Thu, Mar 13, 2008 at 05:28:22PM -0500, Tim Daneliuk
wrote:

> I would like to use the CD install menus to only
prepare the hard
> disk (Partition, Label, Format) without actually
installing anything on
> the drive.  Can this be done?  There seems to be no
"None" option for
> Distributions, and I cannot find the right magic to
make the installer
> go ahead and prepare the drive w/o resorting to at
least a minimal install.
> 
> I assume if the answer is "no" then that
means this has to be done
> manually from the fixit command line????

That is the easiest way that I know.

I think you can get past the disk build and just turn off
all
the stuff to install, but doing fdisk, bsdlabel and newfs
is
really quite easy and less trouble.   

////jerry

> 
> Thanks,
> -- 
>
------------------------------------------------------------
----------------
> Tim Daneliuk     tundratundraware.com
> PGP Key:         http://www.tundraware.
com/PGP/
> 
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On Thu, Mar 13, 2008 at 05:28:22PM -0500, Tim Daneliuk
wrote:

>I would like to use the CD install menus to only prepare
the hard
>disk (Partition, Label, Format) without actually
installing anything on
>the drive.  Can this be done?  There seems to be no
"None" option for
>Distributions, and I cannot find the right magic to make
the installer
>go ahead and prepare the drive w/o resorting to at least
a minimal install.
>
Does the "Post install configuration" not give you
all the menus you 
want?  It doesn't matter whether you have anything installed
or not - 
you can fdisk, bsdlabel and newfs from the sysinstall
interfaces you 
know and love.  And you won't be prompted to install any
packages 
because you're not on a scripted install pathway.

If you have bsdlabel and fdisk files which you are trying to
replicate 
then the live filesystem and native tools may be easier, but
if you want 
to play around with sizes etc. without resorting to a
calculator then 
sysinstall has always done the business for me,

--Alex

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