Installing FreeBSD 5.3 - No Kernel Config ???
 

I downloaded an ISO for FreeBSD 5.3 - Disk1. It appears to skip the first step ( as compared to 4.10) Setting up the kernel. I am relatively new to this, so I'll explain further.

I'm talking about the step for adding or editing the BIOS detected HW, before you get to the GUI. My install skips this entirely. I have re-installed the OS three times to make sure.

I checked the on-line manual, which shows this step. The system does load and appears to operate ok.

I am a little confused.

I'm confused also. Are you talking about GUI (Xorg) or the install text mode screens. I don't recall the step you mentioned, but I had no problem with any FreeBSD installs. Maybe you should keep installing until something doesn't work.

With respect to loading 4.10

When I pop the CD with the ISO image and reboot, after the BIOS test, BSD starts to load. The first configuration screen I see (for user input) is the Kernel Configuration Menu, Active Drivers.

If you look at the handbook page for installing...about half way down the page, the handbook shows a screen print of what I am talking about.

http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO...all-start.html

After you configure the kernel for the HW devices...NIC, HD, SCSI adapters...[Q] to save and exit.

The next screen is the GUI install screen, Sysinstall Main Menu.

With respect to 5.3...

I never see the Kernal Configuration Menu. The first screen I get is a text menu on the left with a text-character of the BSD daemon on the Right. The text menu has several entry's, one of which is to install. The next screen after that is the Sysinstall GUI.

I am not overly concerned. I just thought it odd.

Is this the section;
Note: From FreeBSD versions 5.0 and later, userconfig has been deprecated in favor of the new device.hints(5) method. For more information on device.hints(5) please visit Section 12.5

Maybe your computer doesn't have any odd driver needs or ISA devices it couldn't figure out on its own. Otherwise you would use device.hints.

so...in newbie terms, upon start up the install process basically probed the hardware and compared what was physically installed against the device.hints file. Since I had no wierd hardware, the install skipped this process.

Is this a correct assumption ?

pretty much... go ahead and install..