Re: sysinst and gpt

["Thomas Mueller" <mueller23%insightbb.com@localhost>]

from, my last message:

> I feel I need to build NetBSD from source because the binary distribution 
> doesn't work.

> Also there are some things wrong with the included X, one being ability to 
> copy and paste only a small amount of lines at one time.

> Another thing is inability to go into X with the generic kernel.

> Of course, getting a working NetBSD by building from source is a doubtful 
> proposition.

My older computer, dating to July 2001, has 256 MB RAM, Gigabyte GA-7DXR 
motherboard, too slow and not enough hard-disk space to build NetBSD or FreeBSD 
from source.  This computer was built slightly before USB 2.0 became 
widespread, so USB on motherboard is 1.1.  Video card is ATI r128: works well 
with Linux and FreeBSD but not so well with NetBSD, or at least not NetBSD's 
included X.  Maybe X from pkgsrc might do better.

So building NetBSD or FreeBSD from source needs the new computer, Intel Sandy 
Bridge with 3 TB hard drive and 16 GB RAM, two USB 3.0 ports.

I think the new computer is more advanced than NetBSD; FreeBSD and Linux have 
USB 3.0 support which NetBSD seems nowhere near supporting.

On the older computer, I have a screenblanking problem in NetBSD since 5.0.1 or 
5.0.2; after 30 seconds, the screen goes blank and does not come back on mouse 
or keyboard action; only thing that works is "screenblank -u" at a root command 
prompt, which I must get to in the dark, without seeing the screen.

I can also type "shutdown -r now" in the dark at a root command prompt, and 
that works.

X works for the most part, except copying and pasting with the mouse only 
copies the first few lines.  Going back to text console, screen is blank, does 
not respond to "screenblank -u"; comes back, but with no cursor, if I use 
vbetool to restore the previous video mode.  This is for 5,1_STABLE; on 
NetBSD-HEAD, text console stays dark and does not come back after returning 
from X.

On the new computer, I was able to install NetBSD 5.1_STABLE on a USB stick and 
boot but not get into X (immediate reboot leaving the file system unclean).

I was able to boot the NetBSD-HEAD installation CD about half the time, but 
never the hard drive installation.

So this is why I would try building from source, to see if I can do any better, 
but still, on the new computer, the only viable full-service open-source OSes 
are Linux and FreeBSD.  I tried OpenIndiana live USB, but it couldn't read GPT 
or 3 TB hard drive.

Tom