Convert SuSe 7.0 Server into FreeBSD 5.x

Gsee · 05-10-2005, 09:43 AM

Hi all,

I have a client running an old SuSe 7.0 router, mailserver and fileserver. Due to it's age and my lack of SuSe knowledge the box scares me :S

I'm wanting to convert this to a FreeBSD 5.x box as I'm more familliar with it and feel he needs some sort of upgrade anyway.

My primary concern is whether his 120Gb Data drive will be accessible in the FreeBSD box.

Is there anything I can do to find out if this will pose a problem upon conversion?

Thanks for your time

gsee

scuzzo84 · 05-10-2005, 10:21 AM

do would you CONVERT a suse box to a freebsd box?

Gsee · 05-10-2005, 10:29 AM

I'm sorry scuzzo84 but I don't understand your post.

Thanks,

Gsee

scuzzo84 · 05-10-2005, 10:31 AM

wow typo, I meant to write

"how would you CONVERT a suse box to a freebsd box?"

reddazz · 05-10-2005, 02:29 PM

Just insert the FreeBSD install disks into your system and delete the Suse partitions during installation. If you need any data from the current server, then back it up first.

Gsee · 05-10-2005, 06:59 PM

By convert I mean wipe the box and install FreeBSD and set the server to do the same as his old ones. He has two hard drives. One is his SuSe install and the other is his data drive. If I format the SuSe hdd and install FreeBSD am I going to be able to mount the data drive if it was created under SuSe? I'm assuming yes because I (again assume) that SuSe would be using some standard filesystem that FBSD will be able to mount.

Can anyone confirm for against this?

Gsee

reddazz · 05-10-2005, 07:17 PM

FreeBSD and linux use different filesystems. Suse will probably be using something like ext3 or reiserfs and FreeBSD uses UFS2. I know that the Linux kernel can be compiled to mount UFS2 partitions in read only mode, but I am not sure if the same applies on FreeBSD.

DaWallace · 05-10-2005, 09:46 PM

last time I checked, freebsd had read-write support for ext2. so.. it should work. but a backup and restore onto a native filesystem would be infinitely better.

Gsee · 05-11-2005, 11:46 AM

DaWallace:

What method would you advise for me to backup and restore the data to a different filesystem? Something along the lines of take a temporary hard drive, format the temp drive as ext2, then copy the data using dd? Take the old hard drive and format it to UFS2 and dd it back again?

Thanks for your help,

gsee