Re: Need some advice on a risky idea

[Andy Ruhl <acruhl%gmail.com@localhost>]

On Sun, Jun 14, 2009 at 1:25 PM, Michael 
Litchard<michael%schmong.org@localhost> wrote:
> I am trying to install NetBSD 5.0 on my home server. I only have USB
> sticks, and the hard drive I boot from.
> I've discovered that my version of -current has some problems writing
> to the usb sticks. Here are the choices I have that I can think of.
>
>
> (1) update -current. My version is very old and I think this may
> totally hose my HD. Even if it doesn't I don't know what problems the
> latest -current might introduce.
>
> NetBSD logos 5.99.01 NetBSD 5.99.01 (XEN3_DOM0) #0: Wed Nov 12
> 20:45:23 PST 2008
> michael@logos:/usr/src/sys/arch/amd64/compile/XEN3_DOM0 amd64
>
> (2) download the 5.0 install kernel, and install from the same HD I booted 
> from.
> This seems possible as I notice everything gets put into memory.
>
>
> I want to confirm #2 is possible. I know it's risky, if things stop in
> the middle I won't be able to boot from anything.
> But to move forward on my plan I need the stability of 5.0.
>
>
> I suppose I can go buy a cheap floppy drive, but I'm lazy and want to
> be able to do this with minimal effort on my part. If I hose things
> then I'll go get the floppy drive.

I'm not sure how that Xen stuff works, so I can't tell you exactly
what to do. But on regular i386:

Just drop the 5.0 install kernel in your / directory.

Call it netbsdi, or something other than netbsd.

At the secondary bootloader (the boot> one), type this:

boot hd0a:netbsdi

This boots the install kernel, and you can do a regular upgrade from there.

I have no idea if the level you are using is higher or lower than 5.0, though.

Andy