# FreeBSD on USB



## balanga (Sep 30, 2014)

I have managed to install FreeBSD from a USB stick after downloading various installation images, but what I would like to do is have a general purpose USB stick with FreeBSD installed on it for maintenance purposes. 

How do I go about creating such a stick? All I want is the base system which simply stops at a login prompt. How do I go about stopping bsdinstall from running on bootup?


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## wblock@ (Sep 30, 2014)

mfsBSD is just that, although it also includes some useful ports like rsync.  The build scripts are there, too, so it can be customized.


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## Beastie (Sep 30, 2014)

And if you just need a typical UFS-based system, simply insert a blank USB pendrive, boot a FreeBSD installation (from CD, DVD or USB) and install it normally on the pendrive.


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## balanga (Oct 1, 2014)

wblock@ said:
			
		

> mfsBSD is just that, although it also includes some useful ports like rsync.  The build scripts are there, too, so it can be customized.



Thanks for that I tried it and it looked useful, and it was nice have a bootable/networkable system on which I could install packages, but in the end I found the other suggestion more flexible.


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## balanga (Oct 1, 2014)

Beastie said:
			
		

> And if you just need a typical UFS-based system, simply insert a blank USB pendrive, boot a FreeBSD installation (from CD, DVD or USB) and install it normally on the pendrive.



Many thanks for the suggestion - that gave me just what I wanted.

Now what I need are some scripts/dialogs to help fix common hard disk problems, in effect  giving me a FreeBSD based SystemRescueCD.


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## jb_fvwm2 (Oct 1, 2014)

I've found that a USB install may crash upon mounting of a /dev/da1p1 ** etc ... YMMV. I had planned on its day-to-day use (v9) but kind of a showstoppper.

** an auxiliary, 2nd, thumbdrive.  Did not have problems with mounting hard disks to it


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## balanga (Oct 2, 2014)

jb_fvwm2 said:
			
		

> I've found that a USB install may crash upon mounting of a /dev/da1p1 etc ... YMMV. I had planned on its day-to-day use (v9) but kind of a showstoppper.



I have been unable to use `mount` for mounting a hard disk. Maybe it's a similar problem. I thought it was just me being unable to get the correct syntax.


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