Subject: Problems whit install, when upgrade from 1.3.x to 1.4.1
To: None <tech-install@netbsd.org>
From: Bernd Salbrechter <bernd@mycity.at>
List: tech-install
Date: 12/14/1999 23:17:50
Hi!

I have upgrade my NetBSD Systems from 1.3.x to 1.4.1 using the
install utility and have found some problems you may interest in.
As I remember you asked for feedback, because this utility needs
testing.

1. The install utility tries to feck all file-systems from the
/etc/fstab including that marked "noauto". I have used that feature
to exclude all FS from the seconde disk, because I have exchangeable
hard-disks and use two different disk as seconde disk, having different
FS on it.

Saving the fstab and striping it to the absolute minimum (only wd0)
solved the problem.

2. I got an permanent (till reboot) message about wd0e is not clean,
after mounting wd0a temporary to remove old kernels, to get the
space in /.

It was really my mistake not to remove all old kernel copies from
/ before starting install, so it was perfectly Ok for me to get
"filesystem full". But needing a reboot to continue was a little
bit hard.

The same happens, when /etc.old exists, from a previous run of install...

3. When installing with ftp the first question about a directory
was not clear, that this should be the spooling area for the
tarballs. I did it wrong and got no chance to correct it. I think
/usr/... is anyway a bade default, they should got to /var/...,
because /usr will be populated by the installation. When upgrading
there my be many packages already installed.

4. I had troubles to get my network-card (ne2) to work, whit the
GENERIC and a custom kernel in the installed system. From the boot
floppy it worked perfectly well. I figured out, that I have to
configure only that card and not to autoconfigure all cards, even
if I have only this one.

5. I have to run reset(1), because wscons get confused, when using
more(1). It uses only the last line. It looks like that happens if
I got asynchronous (stderr, syslog) output, while using more. I
have not investigated in more detail till now.

6. Sometimes the last letter I typed will be repeated several times
or until I type "return", this is very nesty especially in vi when
deleting one line.

Hope that helps to make a good OS better
Bernd Salbrechter

PS.: Please can you cc your answers to me, because I'm not shure
I have subscribed that mail-list.