Subject: Installing from SunOS
To: None <taco@mad.scientist.com>
From: Gordon W. Ross <gwr@mc.com>
List: port-sun3
Date: 04/14/1998 10:48:27
> Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998 20:13:34 -0700 (PDT)
> From: "Todd 'Taco' Hansen" <taco@tshansen.reshall.ucsd.edu>
> 
> Neither the installation guide nor the FAQs go into any detail on how to
> install NetBSD using a SunOS system. I am up a creak until I can figure
> out how to do it and I was wondering if perhaps someone could list the
> steps that I need to take to get it to a point that the INSTALL manual
> takes over again? Thanks. [...]

Ah yes, that procedure should be added to the installation guide.
It's fairly simple.  Here's how you do it:

Boot SunOS on the machine, and get the file:  miniroot.gz
onto someting the machine can access (disk file, network).

Get SunOS into single-user mode in order to be sure that
nothing will be using swap space.  (as root: kill 1)

Copy the miniroot image onto your swap device: i.e.
  gzip -dc .../miniroot.gz | dd of=/dev/rsd0b obs=32k

Reboot using the swap device: i.e.
  reboot -- 'sd(0,0,1)'

After it boots, you should pick up with the INSTALL document
at the point where you have booted from the miniroot.