# FreeBSD netboot via NFS without PXE,BOOTP etc



## Ringo (Jul 17, 2012)

Is it possible to load FreeBSD over NFS but without using pxe, bootp?

I know, in Linux you can create initramfs with some options, and then you can boot kernel with nfsroot option and this initramfs and you can work. Is there similiar thing in FreeBSD?


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## wblock@ (Jul 17, 2012)

You'll have to load the kernel from local media, but otherwise it would be the same as a PXE boot.  Just out of curiosity, why?


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## Ringo (Jul 17, 2012)

wblock@ said:
			
		

> You'll have to load the kernel from local media, but otherwise it would be the same as a PXE boot.  Just out of curiosity, why?



For my work. I work on five different systems from day to day. They are connected to the Internet. 
My plan is simple: I'm making bootable usb-stick with kernel, setting up nfs-server at home and, at my office, I'm booting to my own OS using USB stick and NFS-share, without modifying anything on PC.


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## Ringo (Jul 18, 2012)

So,anybody knows how to do it?


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## wblock@ (Jul 18, 2012)

Off the top of my head, create a FreeBSD bootable memory stick and set vfs.root.mountfrom= to the NFS filesystem.  But NFS is not something that should be exposed to the net at large.

Another way would be to boot a full FreeBSD system locally and then use security/openvpn to connect to the remote system, then NFS-mount the user's home directory.


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## Ringo (Jul 19, 2012)

wblock@ said:
			
		

> But NFS is not something that should be exposed to the net at large.



Thank you for advice, but my nfs-share is opened for few ip-s or it doesn't matter?


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## wblock@ (Jul 19, 2012)

I would still want to use OpenVPN or at least an ssh(1) tunnel for encryption.


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