Making a Stand-Alone FreeBSD Machine

Sometimes when we're monitoring network traffic for other projects, especially the nanoManipulator, we want to take a FreeBSD machine to another location. In preparation, we'll have to take if off of the DiRT network and make sure that all necessary applications are on the local machine. Then, when we bring the machine back, we want to be able to move it back into the DiRT network easily.

Cutting Off the Blood (DiRT) Supply

• Check which directories are mounted over the network:

  granny# less /etc/mount.local
  #!/bin/csh
  /sbin/mount -t nfs -o rw tyagi137.cs.unc.edu:/usr /net/tyagi137/usr &
  /sbin/mount -t nfs -o rw buzzard.cs.unc.edu:/dirt /net/buzzard/dirt &
  /sbin/mount -t nfs -o rw buzzard.cs.unc.edu:/smithfd /net/buzzard//smithfd & 
  /sbin/mount -t nfs -o rw buzzard.cs.unc.edu:/dirt-bulk /net/buzzard/dirt-bulk &
  /sbin/mount -t nfs -o rw buzzard.cs.unc.edu:/playpen /net/buzzard/playpen &
  /sbin/mount -t nfs -o rw buzzard.cs.unc.edu:/dirt-playpen /net/buzzard/dirt-playpen &
  /sbin/mount -t nfs -o rw buzzard.cs.unc.edu:/jeffay2 /net/buzzard/jeffay2 &
  

• Create a /usr/home2 directory.

  granny# mkdir /usr/home2
  

• Make a link from /home2 to /usr/home2.

  granny# ln -s /usr/home2 /home2
  

• Create home directories for your users under /usr/home2.

  granny# cd /usr/home2
  granny# mkdir clark
  granny# chown clark clark
  

• Copy tools to local disk space.

  granny# cp /usr/dirt/bin/tcptrace-dirt /usr/sbin
  granny# cp /usr/dirt/bin/xplot-dirt /usr/sbin
  granny# cp /usr/dirt/bin/ttcp /usr/sbin
  granny# cp /usr/dirt/bin/ifmon /usr/sbin
  

• Copy any relevant user files to /usr/home2/[username] directories.

• Make new copy of /etc/rc.local:

  granny# cd /etc
  granny# cp rc.local rc.local.DiRT
  granny# cp rc.local rc.local.alone
  granny# ln -s rc.local.alone rc.local
  

• In /etc/rc.local, comment out the following line (probably the last line in the file):

  # mount the dirt file-systems
  #/etc/mount.local
  

• Make new copy of /etc/rc.conf:

  granny# cd /etc
  granny# cp rc.conf rc.conf.DiRT
  granny# cp rc.conf rc.conf.alone
  granny# ln -s rc.conf.alone rc.conf
  

• In /etc/rc.conf, make the following changes:
  • Comment out network_interfaces:

    #network_interfaces="xl0 lo0"    # List of network interfaces (lo0 is loopback).
    network_interfaces="lo0"    # List of network interfaces (lo0 is loopback).
      

  • Comment out ifconfig_xxx:

    #ifconfig_xl0="inet 152.2.136.35  netmask 255.255.255.0"
      

  • Set default_router to "NO":

    #defaultrouter="152.2.136.50"            # Set to default gateway (or NO).
    defaultrouter="NO"            # Set to default gateway (or NO).
      

  • Set sendmail_enable to "NO": (so that it'll boot-up quicker...)

    #sendmail_enable="YES"   # Run the sendmail daemon (or NO).
    sendmail_enable="NO"   # Run the sendmail daemon (or NO).
      

• Check /etc/host.conf and /etc/resolv.conf. You might want to comment out "nameserver" in resolv.conf. Make sure that "hosts" is before "bind" in /etc/host.conf.

• Change users' default home directory to /usr/home2/[username].

  granny# vipw
  

Bringing the Machine Back On-line

• Change rc.local and rc.conf back to original

  granny# ln -s rc.local.DiRT {135, 136, 137,...} rc.local
  granny# ln -s rc.conf.DiRT {135, 136, 137,...} rc.conf
  

• Uncomment "nameserver" in /etc/resolv.conf

• Reboot machine

• Add groups and users back

  granny# /usr/dirt/bin/dist_etc_dirt
  granny# /usr/dirt/bin/add_dirt_users_dirt