Re: [9fans] Plan9 topology

["Brian L. Stuart" <blstuart@bellsouth.net>]

> I could run a headless box as a Plan9 auth/cpu, fs server.
> Then, if I
> want to this Plan9 server, is there a minimum Plan9 install
> that I
> could put on the spare partition that I have?

With this setup available, there are several ways
you can go.  As a lot of people have suggested, you
can install a cpu/auth/fs server on the headless
machine and use drawterm to be a terminal talking
to him.  An even more Plan9-like way of doing it
is to net-boot a Plan9 terminal from your cpu/auth/fs
machine.  If you want to boot your main box that
way, you can without installing anything on it.
>From within Linux, you can do the same thing in
virtualbox.  In fact, I have a virtualbox terminal
running right now on my machine.  It's net booted,
taking its Plan9 kernel from a Plan9 machine that
provides DHCP service and it mounts its root from
a Ken FS machine.  At home, I use 9vx taking its
root from a Plan9 fossil/venti file server.

> for a long time: a 486DX running FreeBSD as a mailserver;
> another
> running as a webserver; another couple running primary and
> slave
> nameservers; and one dual-homed FreeBSD box routing and
> doing
> firewall/natd.

The only problem you'd run into there is that Plan9
doesn't currently have a NAT implementation.

> The above sounds like a job for Plan9 :) But my point is -
> is that I
> don't need to set up a LAN to enjoy Linux or FreeBSD. Can I
> use Plan9
> standalone in a dedicated partition?

Yes, the default install from the CD sets up a
stand-alone machine.  And for most of us, that's
the starting point from which we configure any
specialized machines such as cpu, auth, or file
servers.  And you can get a pretty good feel for
what Plan9 is about with a stand-alone machine.
However, some parts of the system make a lot more
sense when you experience them in a networked
environment.  Auth is a good example of this.

But whichever path(s) you take, I hope you'll find
Plan9 is a great system, just as we do.

BLS