Related: Write to a USB drive from the URL of a compressed disc image.

The example below assumes that your USB drive is at /dev/da0.

Run commands as the superuser.

  1. mkdir /media/aninstaller
  2. mount_cd9660 /dev/da0 /media/aninstaller
  3. mkdir -p /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos
  4. ee /usr/local/etc/pkg/repos/aninstaller.conf
  5. pkg bootstrap --yes -r aninstaller
  6. pkg update --repository aninstaller
  7. pkg rquery -r aninstaller "%o%n" | sort | less

You’ll get a list of available packages. Key q to quit the pager.

Then use pkg as you normally would, but limited to the aninstaller repo. For example:

  • pkg install -r aninstaller firefox

Content for the aninstaller.conf file:

aninstaller: {
  url: "file:////media/aninstaller/packages/FreeBSD:14:amd64",
  REPO_AUTOUPDATE: "false",
  mirror_type: "none",
  enabled: yes
}

Important: switch from yes, to no, after temporarily using the USB drive as a source for the repo.

Some manual pages:

  • @grahamperrinOPEnglish
    1•6 months ago

    At https://www.freebsdmall.com/cgi-bin/fm/bsddvd14.1:

    … How to install packages from the disc: …

    Plus, there’s a simpler, three-step routine if using the medium (not necessarily a disc) after installation of the OS – before exiting the installer.

    1. In the Manual Configuration dialogue, choose Yes
    2. /bin/csh
    3. setenv REPOS_DIR /dist/packages/repos

    – then use pkg commands as normal.

    You’ll have the DVD repo alone – with an archaic name, FreeBSD_install_cdrom – none of the online repos. This offline repo includes things such as graphics/drm-515-kmod, but not things such as x11/nvidia-driver. We can’t have everything offline in this way, DVD image space is constrained.

    When you want no more from the offline DVD repo:

    • exit

    – then, if an Internet connection was gained during installation, online repos will be available.