Hi,

Here are my 2 cents after a 4-days struggle installing NetBSD 1.6.1 on a
Beige G3 running Open Firmware 2.4

The box has the original 4GB IDE disk and the original IDE CD-ROM.
Nothing has been added in it.

I have been unable to boot-install with the CD or floppy.
So did I the netinstall.
The procedure is detailed in 
ftp://ftp.NetBSD.ORG/pub/NetBSD/NetBSD-1.6.1/macppc/INSTALL.html

Note : Unzip the kernel and rename it to "netbsd" like explained in the
doc.        It will be useful later.

1/ Install MacOS 9.

2/ Install System Disk 
  
(ftp://ftp.apple.com/developer/macosxserver/utilities/SystemDisk2.3.1.s
mi.bin)

3/ Launch it and click save.

4/ Reboot.

5/ Go into OF with command-alt-o-f.

6/ Type :

setenv auto-boot? false
setenv load-base 600000
setenv real-base F00000
setenv boot-device enet:,ofwboot.xcf
setenv boot-file netbsd
reset-all

Note : loading the gziped kernel like mentioned in the examples from the
doc        didn't work for me.

7/ Then OF resets and you get a prompt back.

8/ Type :

0 bootr

The kernel should now load.
If you get a "CLAIM FAILED" then you probably have typed "boot" 
instead of "0 bootr".
If it complains saying "0 bootr" is an unknown command, System Disk
patches have not been applied. Go back to step 2.

9/ Install netbsd and reboot.

Note : the install randomly segfaults but always after packages have
been        copied and devices created. Not a real problem as it's
sufficient to        boot the system.

10/ At the OF prompt, type :

setenv boot-device ide/disk@0,0
setenv boot-file
reset-all

Then OF resets and you get a prompt back.

11/ Type :

0 bootr

The kernel should now load from the disk and the system run fine.

Final Note :

Every time you reboot, you'll have to "0 bootr" in Open Firmware.
I have not been able to auto-boot the kernel.
I have tried "setenv boot-command 0 bootr", but the screens goes white
and nothing happens (seems like an endless loop if 0 bootr uses boot
...) Any suggestion on this point is welcomed.

Thanks to Emmanuel Dreyfus who helped me a lot in succeeding this
install.


-- 
Fabrice Delambre
NOfabSPAM@nerim.net