> I want install -current on my iBook as standalone OS since I never used
> OS X.
> 
> My iBook is a late 2002 model (G3 with 700Mhz, Radeon M7500, 20G HDD, OFW
> 3.x, 2xUSB, 1xFireWire, etc.)

Mine is an iBook 600mhz, Rage 128, ditto.

> 
> I tried booting 1.6.1 with success, but installing it makes no sense,
> since I want NetBSD as single OS and disklabel isn't able to create
> Apple partitions maps. I tried pdisk on 1.6.1 install (through fetching
> it via ftp) - but I cannot format the created partitions with newfs (I
> think I'd also need a special newfs or disklabel?).
> So, afterwards I tried 1.6Z which must be capable to format
> pdisk-created partitions - the kernel boots, but something with the
> memory drive for the root partition image works wrong, so I cannot mount
> the md0a disk - and so I'm not able to do anything else than rebooting
> it :)

I am running 1.6.2_RC4 quite easily on my iBook, and I love it, once you
get the hang of it, it is not difficult to install, the hardest part is 
the beginning. Unfortunately, the install doc has the information, so I
could technically say RTFM, but you can easily overlook the process. I
haven't heard of the current being too much different in the
installation process, and I am not sure whether you want the hassles or
not. I like 1.6.1, good for me.

You need to create the partitions in the Partition Disk utitlity that
comes on MacOS disks, my OS 9.2 works best for me, but the OS X Disk
Utility works as well. You create a small partition to hold the boot
loader, which you will want to be hfs standard. Then you create your
other paritions. I have mine set up as:

	32mb	hfs	boot partition
	200mb	BSD4.2	root
	960mb	swap	swap
	5000mb	BSD4.2	/usr
	1000mb	BSD4.2	/var
	150mb	BSD4.2	/tmp
	*mb	BSD4.2	/home

You create the root parition by making the partition an A/UX root
partition in your Apple Disk Utility. /usr is made with an A/UX user
partition, the swap is A/UX swap and the rest I put as A/UX Free1. I
then have the Disk Utility partition the disk, and reboot into my
install disk.

Next you have to go in manually, get your disk label information, create
the file system and an /etc/fstab entry with your partitions. After the
partitions are formatted and ready, you can go back and select the
"Re-install sets . . ." option. That will install the system, and on my
disk it also make the device nodes; but the docs mention that you have
to do this manually, so there may be some reason you'll have to maek
sure the nodes are created manually.

After that, you can reboot using the CD's bootloader, and the hard
drive's kernel. Then you'll want to set up your rc.conf and the rest is
smooth sailing from there; to get the bootloader on the hard drive, use
the hfsutils from pkgsrc once you have a good kernel compiled and such. 

A note about the kernel, there seems to be a bug in the base source that
causes errors on booting with the OpenFirmeware buffer/acceleration or
whatever it is you call it. So you need to update your source to get
that feature, which I like.

After that initial hurdle, I have found nothing else that is too
confusing.

Again, this is all in the INSTALL doc, but you have to read carefully to
understand it.

I hope this helps, tell me how it goes. 

--
Aaron Hsu
noorah@aaronhsu.com