Different Download Versions of i386 Image CD Disc1

Terry Mester said:
Would it be possible for the Boot Only version to extract Files from the Flash Drive instead of the Internet?

You can try that with the R11 Installation CD. See if you can mount the flash drive to /media, and if you have enough RAM, you could also mount the R13-Install-CD.iso file asa memory disk at /mnt using /sbin/mdconfig -a -t vnode -f <your-R13-iso-file> -u 9 ; /sbin/mount -t cd9660 /dev/md9 /mnt. You can then copy the files under /mnt to your flash drive.
I do think bsdinstall allows for using locally stored files instead of downloading via internet.
 
The wrong version of kernel is booted and the wrong userland libraries are linked to run "pkg install", or "bsdinstall" or whatever. The newer ABI used by 13 is unkown to 11. The only thing you can do is extract tarballs manually and install the loader manually. But explain it to someone is almost impossible. Its like a linux-from-scratch.
 
Ok, can you install FreeBSD on a hard drive in ANOTHER computer and then transfer that drive to your computer?

So take the drive you want FreeBSD installed on OUT of your computer and put in your brother‘s computer or whatever. Boot off USB or take one of the download options and install to YOUR drive on that computer or location.

Once that is done, move your drive back into your computer and boot off it.

I suspect that your drive is so old it won’t work in many modern machines but hopefully you can find one.
This would be a very good idea, but unfortunately my Hard Drive is IDE. I don't think his more modern Computer with Windows 10 has this Connector. I have no idea why they replaced the IDE Connector for Hard Drives and Peripherals. It makes me think it was 'forced obsolescence' as Apple likes to do. It just creates a lot of e-waste. :mad:

There is a windows tool , non commercial free, to load any operating system. I used it in the past.
Just register,
...

There is however something else you can do also.
Boot from a linux CD, download install gparted in memory and shrink the windows partition.
...
My Windows is XP since I don't like continually giving my money to Microsoft. :)

I would be way too worried about screwing up my Windows Partition. If that happened it would take me over five hours to reformat and reinstall all of the Software I have on that.

Is there any notable improvement with BSD Release 13 over Release 11 which I have now? I'll have to stick with R11.
 
You can try that with the R11 Installation CD. See if you can mount the flash drive to /media, and if you have enough RAM, you could also mount the R13-Install-CD.iso file asa memory disk at /mnt using /sbin/mdconfig -a -t vnode -f <your-R13-iso-file> -u 9 ; /sbin/mount -t cd9660 /dev/md9 /mnt. You can then copy the files under /mnt to your flash drive.
I do think bsdinstall allows for using locally stored files instead of downloading via internet.
I can try this and get back to you, but Alain doesn't seem to think it will work. I'm suspicious that I'll run into the 'Read Only CD' Error since nothing can be written to the R11 Installation CD.
 
Terry Mester said:
... but Alain doesn't seem to think it will work

Alain is right that you can't use the R11-install-CD to install R13. The question was whether you could use the R11-install-CD to copy install files to your flash drive. That may work, although it takes RAM to create and mount a memory disk from the .iso file you have. Once you have the R13-install files on your flash drive you could use the R13-bootonly-cd without having to use internet to download them.
 
Unless you have a very good reason for using i386 please use amd64 (unless your have extremely old hardware)
I'm still on an IBM ThinkCentre Pentium 4. I'm very judicious in spending money, and I hate creating e-waste. 😀😀
For older motherboards, usually the CPU can be upgraded from an i386 CPU to a 64x CPU. You'll have to order the right CPU online, because stores usually carry more recent hardware. Maybe a little over $20 plus shipping for a used CPU. There's very little e-waste from upgrading a CPU. Be sure you remove electrostatic charge from your hands before changing it, and have thermal paste.
(even a small SBC) is most likely much faster than your current workstation.
Many Pentium 4 CPUs also do 64-bit.
 
...That may work, although it takes RAM to create and mount a memory disk from the .iso file you have. Once you have the R13-install files on your flash drive you could use the R13-bootonly-cd without having to use internet to download them.
I have 4GB of RAM, but the Installation CD constitutes the Root Drive '/', and it's 'Read Only'. So mount doesn't work.

For older motherboards, usually the CPU can be upgraded from an i386 CPU to a 64x CPU. ...
I will be ordering a new Motherboard & 'amd64' CPU for my machine in the not too distant future from Lenovo. My Pent4 Motherboard seems to be failing since the Computer's BIOS, and Free BSD 'gpart show', is not recognizing HD Drive 0, and the Sound Card seems to have fried. However strangely, Windows XP continues to recognize the Hard Disk in Drive 0, and gives me full access! I would love an explanation for this.
 
Old software was made for old hardware seems a legit explanation to me.
Windows XP was released in 1985.
You can look in hystorical musea if they have other sofware from 1985 which will run just fine on your PC.
There is for instance FreeDOS,
 
It seems that all 32-bit processor desktops should run FreeDOS than anything else.

It's amazing how much bloat there was on opensource for a computer then, when a 32bit processor would spend over a day compiling just unnecessary bloat, that the wanted programs should have taken no more than 1 to 4 hours.

Currently, the problem may be the ACPI or video drivers making lots of heat. The heat on a computer matters. That 32bit AMD driver support was reduced to 2nd tier may have something to do with it.
 
Old software was made for old hardware seems a legit explanation to me.
Windows XP was released in 1985.
...
The Computer BIOS doesn't recognize Hard Drive 0 as installed either.

Did you mean 2005? Windows XP, and my IBM ThinkCentre Petium 4, is from 2004-5. Back in 1985 I don't think IBM had yet developed the 286 Processor.
 
The Intel 80286 was introduced in 1982 and discontinued in 1991. Windows XP was launched in 2001. XP was released after Windows 95, 98, 98SE, ME and 2000.

Early FreeBSD versions required at least a 80386DX. I believe it was 5.0 that dropped the 386 from i386/GENERIC. Eventually 486_CPU and 586_CPU were dropped too.

It's been said before, FreeBSD is not a museum. Support for old hardware is continuously removed.
 
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