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

[Dustin Marquess <dmarquess%gmail.com@localhost>]

Nice!  Now if there is a way to pass or bake-in IP information and
then SSH in to do the actual install, this would be exactly what I
need.

I have some remote Linux (XenServer) machines that I'd like to convert
to NetBSD dom0s, but sadly there's no remote console access to them.
So it's either try to find a way to start the install somehow from
inside Linux, or walk a stupid tech through it.

-Dustin

On Tue, Sep 13, 2011 at 10:27 AM, Emmanuel Kasper 
<emmanuel%libera.cc@localhost> 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
>