# How to create a pre-installed packages spin?



## prp-e (Nov 22, 2012)

Hi all. 
I installed more than 200 packages on my FreeBSD machine , and I want to install my FreeBSD on another machine (It doesn't have internet) and I want to take a spin of my FreeBSD. I tried "make release" or "nanobsd" but those tools only compile the sources! I want to make backup from installed package and services. 
Regards.


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## Beastie (Nov 22, 2012)

Many ways.

Check pkg_create(1).

You could also dump(8) the /usr partition (and optionally /var or just tar the /var/db/pkg directory) and restore(8) it on the second machine.

If you install packages a second time though, don't forget to use
`# pkg_add -r[b]K[/b] package`
to keep downloaded packages in the PKGDIR directory (set in the environment).


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## wblock@ (Nov 22, 2012)

NanoBSD does have a way to install packages, but it's a lot of work just to copy to another machine.  Two easier ways:

1. Back up the original machine and restore to the target machine.  See Backup Options For FreeBSD.
2. Use portmaster(8) to make a list of all installed ports on the original machine.  Use this to install them on the second.  See the end of the portmaster man page.


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## prp-e (Nov 22, 2012)

wblock@ said:
			
		

> NanoBSD does have a way to install packages, but it's a lot of work just to copy to another machine.  Two easier ways:
> 
> 1. Back up the original machine and restore to the target machine.  See Backup Options For FreeBSD.
> 2. Use portmaster(8) to make a list of all installed ports on the original machine.  Use this to install them on the second.  See the end of the portmaster man page.


How can I activate this options on NanoBSD ?


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## wblock@ (Nov 22, 2012)

See http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/articles/nanobsd/howto.html, the "Adding packages" section.


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## prp-e (Nov 22, 2012)

Thanks. But now I want to copy my rc.conf or other configuration files. Can NanoBSD do it?


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## wblock@ (Nov 22, 2012)

It would be part of the "Custom functions" also described in that article.


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## prp-e (Nov 23, 2012)

wblock@ said:
			
		

> It would be part of the "Custom functions" also described in that article.


Thanks. 
I have a question about FreeSBIE, how does it work?


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## Beastie (Nov 23, 2012)

prp-e said:
			
		

> I have a question about FreeSBIE, how does it work?


It was a live version of FreeBSD that ran on Xfce and Fluxbox and came with many applications. But it's been dead for years. You may want to check PC-BSD instead.

Also note that these have nothing to do with the FreeBSD Project, even though they're based on the FreeBSD source.


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## prp-e (Nov 23, 2012)

Beastie said:
			
		

> It was a live version of FreeBSD that ran on Xfce and Fluxbox and came with many applications. But it's been dead for years. You may want to check PC-BSD instead.
> 
> Also note that these have nothing to do with the FreeBSD Project, even though they're based on the FreeBSD source.


I mean "FreeSBIE toolkit" --> sysutils/freesbie


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## Beastie (Nov 24, 2012)

Ah, sorry, I've never tried these scripts, only the resulting live system ISO (back in the FreeBSD 5.x days IIRC). Still it seems to be dead to me. Screenshots from the official page show it's based on an outdated version of FreeBSD:
http://www.freesbie.org/img/freesbie20-2.png
http://www.freesbie.org/img/freesbie20-3.png

But of course if you want to update the scripts to use the latest FreeBSD release ...


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## prp-e (Nov 24, 2012)

Beastie said:
			
		

> Ah, sorry, I've never tried these scripts, only the resulting live system ISO (back in the FreeBSD 5.x days IIRC). Still it seems to be dead to me. Screenshots from the official page show it's based on an outdated version of FreeBSD:
> http://www.freesbie.org/img/freesbie20-2.png
> http://www.freesbie.org/img/freesbie20-3.png
> 
> But of course if you want to update the scripts to use the latest FreeBSD release ...


I use PC-BSD on my own laptop, but PC-BSD isn't a good base for our works . 
I've used sysutils/freesbie and sysutils/cdrtools to export my installed FreeBSD to ISO file


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