You need an embedded install with a data partition. My FreeNAS server runs from a 1GB usb stick and the data partition is mounted as “/mnt/usb-data”. To install Vim on the usb stick:
# using csh setenv PKG_TMPDIR /mnt/usb-data/temp # install package pkg_add -r vim-lite -P /mnt/usb-data/pkg
Now we need a script to create the symlinks to the Vim binaries in the “pkg” directory:
nano /mnt/usb-data/hooks.sh
Here’s the content:
#!/bin/sh # Vim symlinks to binaries ln -s /mnt/usb-data/pkg/bin/vim /bin/vi ln -s /mnt/usb-data/pkg/bin/vim /bin/vim # .vimrc for root ln -s /mnt/usb-data/pkg/share/vim/vim72/vimrc_example.vim /root/.vimrc # .vimrc for regular user ln -s /mnt/usb-data/pkg/share/vim/vim72/vimrc_example.vim /mnt/.vimrc # syntax file mkdir /usr/local/share/vim/ mkdir /usr/local/share/vim/syntax/ ln -s /mnt/usb-data/pkg/share/vim/vim72/syntax/syntax.vim /usr/local/share/vim/syntax/syntax.vim
Now make it run at boot time, go in System —> Advanced —> Command scripts and enter:
/mnt/usb-data/hooks.sh
Select PostInit and that’s it! Everytime you reboot your FreeNAS server the symlinks will be re-created!
