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Re: trying to build bootable OpenBSD on a CD-R

 wrote:
> 
> hello all,
> I am wanting to build a OpenBSD 2.8(JEEZ do I need alotta patches now, good
> thing the folks at OpenBSD.org have included them all in a tar.gz ) CD that
> my AMD 500mhz 96mb ram with A-Open Video/Sound/Modem, and I want X-windows
>  then I could live with having to mount CD after booting from the kernal
> CD(CD1) to gather my ports (precompiled ofcourse, and I wouldnt mind if
> X-windows was on CD2)

You should be able to fit a hole OpenBSD load on one 
CD-ROM.  That includes all of the X-Windows system.  
Depending how many applications you add you could 
possibly go over 650MB.  I currently am only using 
390MB.  The only instructions I could give on building 
a boot CD are for doing it under a UNIX system.  Look 
at OpenBSD's documentation.  It's there.  Note, /tmp, 
/var, and swap space will need to be on media than can 
be rewritten millions of times.  Same goes for /home.  
You may also have to make symbolic links from some 
other directories to rewiteable media because of ever 
changing files.  

> perhaps this could be done with a script (ports and X-windows loading)
> 
> I have to have it load in memory only so it doesnt touch a hardrive (what
> will I do fora swap, do I need a swap)

swap can be dropped if you have enough memory...

> to burn the CD images I will have to use windows ME and I dont know how to
> compile images or anything like that (total newbie to *nix&*nux, I hate
> legacy OS's,for the most part)
> 
> thankyou
> and 1 more thing, anybody who runs a 1gighz or higher AMD Athlon I have a
[snip]

I think you need to reconsider using an AMD Athlon.  Your battery 
pack will be a killer.  Cooling is your least worry.  Just use a 
good copper heatsink and fan.  I just don't think you want to be 
carrying the weight of the battery pack needed to power an Athlon
around.  Your looking at more than 100 Watts/hour to power the 
thing.  Power is the main killer with a wearable.  The battery 
pack gets quite large fast.  You need to do everything you can 
to reduce power consumption.  My last idea used an maximum of 
28Watts and I thought that was to much.  Ideally I'd like to be 
under 15W peak.  Considering a laptop IDE drive peaks at 4-5W 
startup and 2-4 running, that leaves 10-13W between the display 
and CPU/logic.  Not Much.  With an 80W battery pack that gives me
5 hours run time with a 20 minute reserve.  I'd need two packs 
for an average work day.  21W can be gotten from 4 18.5mm diameter 
x 67mm long cylindrical Li-Ion cells.  4 strings of them would get 
me 84W.  Given cases, etc. that would be about 7 cubic inches per 4 
cell string or 56 cubic inches for a work day.  Powering an Athlon 
that would be less than an hour.

Another problem.  Using a CD-ROM for your main OS storage drive 
won't save you any power.  CD-ROM drives typically consume as 
much power as a HD drive if not more.  It would be better to use 
a HD with smart power saving control of it.  Even better would 
be to place you OS/etc on a large CompactFlash card or two.  Then 
put your swap, /tmp, /var, and /home on a laptop HD.  Lexar Media 
largest CompactFlash card is 512MB.  I could load a full OpenBSD 
system on it with X-Windows.  That leaves data storage on a 
laptop IDE HD.  The HD can be spun up and down as needed to save 
power.

-- 
|  Bryan Andersen   |      |   http://www.nerdvest.com   |
| Buzzwords are like annoying little flies that deserve to be swatted. |
|   -Bryan Andersen                                                    |

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