Subject: Tracking -current while not trashing stable installation


> Is there any way to install NetBSD so as to be able to track -current while
> not burning one's bridges of the stable distribution?

Yes - everything is possible!

> Could this be done within one primary partition?
Yes, doing it with 2 primary partitions is much more fun!
You need the fixes to mbr_bootsel, the boot code and kernel autoconf code
(see a load of bugs I've raised recently) to be able to boot 2 different
copies of netBSD off different partitions on the same disk.

> Maybe include relatively small f and g subpartitions for the
> experimental root and /usr?
No need for a separate usr, bung it all in root

> Packages like emacs, mozilla, perl, vim 6, pine and others would be accessed
> in their normal installed places rather than being installed in duplicate.
A few symlinks MIGHT sort that out.

> Is root invariably a?
No - but you have to intercept the loader (while it is counting down)
in order to select a different device. eg boot wd0f:
Your kernel has to use the boot boot slice as its root fs as well.
 
> Or could the disklabel be edited to switch a & f, and e & g,
> and later switch back?
Only if you want to corrupt your disk badly!
> 
> This question is also appropriate regarding a release version upgrade,
> if one is afraid the new release might break something.

true...

    David