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

[Dmitry Matveev <me%dmitrymatveev.co.uk@localhost>]

Hello Emmanuel,

Thanks for an useful information!
I can also share my experience - I have installed NetBSD on a laptop 
from a running GNU/Linux with QEMU.
Just passed the installation iso image as a -cdrom and an existing HDD 
partition in -hda option.

Dmitry

On Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:27:55 +0200, Emmanuel Kasper wrote:
> ( 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