How to install NetBSD with NO install media whatsoever if you have Linux already installed

[Emmanuel Kasper <emmanuel%libera.cc@localhost>]

( sorry for the long title, it is just intended to be search keyword
friendly )

I have a KVM hoster in Germany, which offers me access to the system
console, via VNC, but only offers Linux and FreeBSD as install options.
It is however still possible to install NetBSD, by booting the NetBSD
installer on a Linux partition via GRUB.

Here's how to do it from Linux:

mkdir /boot/netbsd
cd /boot/netbsd
wget
ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/NetBSD-5.1/i386/binary/kernel/netbsd-INSTALL_FLOPPY.gz
gunzip netbsd-INSTALL_FLOPPY.gz

Provided you only have a single Linux partition, and it is the first
partition of your hard drive (NB: grub legacy numbers partition from 0,
grub2 from 1, go figure )

# Grub Legacy: stuff to add to grub legacy's /boot/grub/menu.st
title NetBSD Installer
root (hd0,0)
kernel --type=netbsd  /boot/netbsd/netbsd-INSTALL_FLOPPY

# GRUB2: Stuff to add to /etc/grub.d/40_custom
# Don't forget to run update-grub afterwards
menuentry "NetBSD Installer" {
set root=(hd0,msdos3)
knetbsd /boot/netbsd/netbsd-INSTALL_FLOPPY
}

Manu