> - My OS History: Microsoft -> Linux (many different distributions) ->
NetBSD
> 1.4.1 (i386).

>Hmm. Is this a sort of timeline? If so, NetBSD should come first (since
>a good chunk of the code was started in the late 70s), Microsoft next,
>and Linux last.

Nope, that's my personal usage history!! (the sort of history probabely many
other new users have and will follow)

> - NetBSD is an OS that you virtually have to bring from the "ground up",
> meaning there is no one GUI system installation utility like YaST (SuSE),
> Mandrakes new one for 7.0 (can't remember it's name), etc.  I feel that
> bringing a system from the ground up is a rewarding experience for any
new,
> up & coming Unix hackers.

>You might point out that, with the exception of disk partitioning,
>bringing up a NetBSD system using command line utilities is actually
>quite simple. My method, briefly summarised, is this:

Fair call, but I mean "up" as in ready to be a productive entity in an
enterprise.  Now your talking almost always a kernal rebuild, lots of work
in /etc, pkgsrc and D/L time from the net.


>    1. Boot the machine from a boot floppy or from the net.
>
>    2. Use sysinst to install i386 DOS partition table and MBR, if on
>       an i386 machine.
>
>    3. Set up the partitions on the disk:
>       disklabel sd0 >/tmp/foo && ed /tmp/foo && disklabel -r -R sd0
/tmp/foo
>       (the -r should be removed on sparc machines).
>
>    4. newfs the partitions and mount them under /mnt.
>
>    5. Unpack the distribution:
>       cd /mnt && for i in /wherever/*.tgz; do
>	   echo $i;
>	   tar -xpzf $i
>       done
>
>    6. Make the devices: cd /mnt/dev && ./MAKEDEV all
>
>    7. Make the disk bootable with /usr/mdec/installboot.
>
>    8. Reboot.
>
>    9. Mount all my paritions, create an /etc/fstab, vipw to clean up
>       the pw file and add myself, passwd root and me, edit /etc/rc.conf,
>       /etc/resolv.conf (if not using DHCP), /etc/ntp.conf, and anything
>       else that strikes my fancy. I put my network interface definitions
>       in /etc/rc.conf as `ifconfig_le0="inet 1.2.3.4 etc.".
>
>    10. Reboot and I'm working.

Exactly why a manual is needed.  Most soon-to-be ex-Microsft, ex-Linux users
wouldn't know about this level of installation complexity.  As the future
progresses, more and more new NetBSDers won't programmers - they'll be
end-users.


>I think someone who is not as far from the learning stage as
>an experienced NetBSD hacker has a rather better chance of producing a
>good manual.

Thanks for the encouragemnet.  I tend to agree, that's why I want to do it
now.  Believe me I laugh now when I think back 6 months ago and couldn't get
my PS/2 Mouse going.  Now it's child's play.  But on that day my world was
falling apart on that problem.  Get in with salt while the wound is fresh I
say !!


> - Should I really do it ?
>Yes!

Seems like a few people like the idea - Trust me - It's ON

>I can probably find some time to copyedit, if you want help with that.

I'll need all the help I can get people.  And your patience as well !!

See ya

XiT