Subject: Re: NetBSD 2.0 Amiga
To: None <port-amiga@netbsd.org>
From: Erik van Roode <netbsd@cthulhu.demon.nl>
List: port-amiga
Date: 12/22/2004 21:32:13
On Sunday 12 December 2004 13:01, John Klos wrote:

> You need to read the part of the install documentation:
> ftp://ftp.NetBSD.org/pub/NetBSD/NetBSD-2.0/amiga/INSTALL.html
>
> which talks about partitioning. You'll need to partition a disk using
> AmigaDOS' HDToolBox or something equivalent. Depending on what kind of
> SCSI or IDE bus the drive you wish to boot is on, you'll either have to
> use bootblocks or a program called runbootblocks.
>
> Read up - if you get stuck, people on this list will help out.

  I'm completely stuck when trying to install 1.6.x, and I suspect
I would hit the exact same problems when trying 2.0, so before I try,
here is my story:

I get the system to boot from the swap partition with runbootblock, but then
I get stuck because I simply cannot read the text. I have a CV64/3D graphics
card, but the installer uses the Amiga graphics, which I can't display.

- I do not have a 15kHz display

- Hooking up a video camera with a 3" screen is good enough to aim the mouse
pointer to the requesters that pop up when a FFS partition needs to be 
validated, but reading text is impossible

- Hooking up to a TV was somewhat better, I can actually distinguish lines, 
but the text itself is still unreadable. If I had more experience I probably 
could kinda guess what was being displayed, and what  need to enter, but
this is still completely new to me.

Is it possible to use a serial console instead of an attached display? I found 
some information for other architectures, and I tried those (like not 
connecting a mouse/keyboard which was mentioned for sun systems)

Do I need to build a custom installation system? Is this something a complete 
beginner to installing BSD has any chance of doing? Has anyone done this?
I do not have a functional NetBSD system available.

Erik