Can I preinstall FreeNAS to flash drive

[silvergoat]

I just put together my server, and I was about to plug it in to install FreeNAS when I realized that my old motherboard did not have onboard graphics. I am going to look around to see if I have an old PCI video card, but chances are slim, and right now I'm using the only PCI-e x16 slot for a card with more SATA ports. I have come across some online info that states that all that is on the USB is really an image.....so I was hoping to create the image on the USB drive, and then access it via the webGUI (I don't know how I'd find out which address it defaults to).

Basically, is there a way to do this that is simpler than finding an old PCI card for the install?

 

[JaimieV]

Yes, just image FreeNAS onto the USB stick using another machine as per the instructions:
http://www.freenas.org/images/resou...nas8.3_guide.html#__RefHeading__426_145473606
You will need to set up the IP address, but you can boot the stick on any machine to set up a fixed IP. Alternatively, you could put in a PCIe video card for the first boot, shut down and replace that with the SATA card.

The question suggests you haven't read the manual; please do, in order not to be disappointed with your FreeNAS build. Also read Cyberjock's presentation on ZFS that's stickied at the top of the noobs forum, it's excellent and covers a whole bunch of noob pitfalls.

 

[pirateghost]

word of warning: Some consumer motherboards wont boot without some sort of video card installed

 

[silvergoat]

I was lucky enough to still have a PCI video card at the office. FX5200 I picked up at a lot sale a while back.....glad I'm a little bit of an electronics hoarder.

 

[silvergoat]

Yes, just image FreeNAS onto the USB stick using another machine as per the instructions:
http://www.freenas.org/images/resou...nas8.3_guide.html#__RefHeading__426_145473606
You will need to set up the IP address, but you can boot the stick on any machine to set up a fixed IP. Alternatively, you could put in a PCIe video card for the first boot, shut down and replace that with the SATA card.

The question suggests you haven't read the manual; please do, in order not to be disappointed with your FreeNAS build. Also read Cyberjock's presentation on ZFS that's stickied at the top of the noobs forum, it's excellent and covers a whole bunch of noob pitfalls.

The USB instructions look to be working. I can't wait to try this at home and get this thing running, even if I need to cram a video card into the PC temporarily. I've got things stacked a few feet that I need to read and will eventually get around to, but it's the busy season at work so time is very limited. I've already put 2 systems together and this one will likely point out what was holding my last system back. No money to buy new equipment, so this will have to do. Thanks.