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Build FreeBSD systems from scratch

OSBUILDER

Building FreeBSD installs from scratch.

It is nearly 2014, and this system has built my personal workstations and a fair number of production / development servers for many years.

However, it is showing its age (the code here still tries to use CVS for heaven's sake.) So I am revamping it, into the modern age of ... saltstack

The aim is still the same - to build a viable, usable FreeBSD workstation that allows me to "just get on with it".

A few sidenotes

I have a few "must haves", a few "really really must haves" and a couple of "OMG, I will die without".

I discuss these here.

A workstation is no longer the be-all and end-all of a developer's world. The Personal Computer has given in to the Personal "Network is the Computer" and that has made many things more awkward as well as more valuable.

Basically that means I am not giving up my smartphone and need access to all my stuff on several different machines. Which complicates life.

I also want to have a degree of expected security.

So I want :

• Secure-ish
• Reliable
• Mobile
• Configurable

General idea:

• use freebsd-update to keep the base system right
• proper firewall use
• use salt-stack to manage the application / ports layer

First steps

Install FreeBSD from .img COnfigure networking

Next Steps

Build minimal salt-ready environment :

ports fetch
build git, python
install salt
run the minions

Easy way:

pkg_add -r python

List of things on the Laptop

• Latest, security patched, BSD sources / binaries for Kernel and Userland
• Well thought out and configured third-party applications
• A sensible way to manage those applications

List of things strongly connected to the Laptop

• GSM->Ethernet adaptor
• Wifi (Gulp - me, BSD and WiFi do not mix well)
• X
• emacs, ansi-colour terminals

List of other things

• contact management solution
• VoIP / Skype

Bibliography

http://blog.mikadosoftware.com/2013/09/17/help-i-cannot-find-a-contact-manager-that-manages-my-contacts/

http://jcooney.net/archive/2007/02/01/42999.aspx. Its funny. see also http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000818.html.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feature_interaction_problem - which is referenced from the wise article - http://the-programmers-stone.com/2008/06/23/dirty-little-secrets-response-to-grady-booch/