On Sat, 3 Feb 2001, Andrew Steven Ball wrote:

>   AB> Are base.tgz, etc.tgz and kern.tgz the bare minimum
>     > needed for a NetBSD/i386 install?
>
>   FB> you may then remove a lot (mount_* except what you
>     > use, fsck_*, lots of other thing).
>     >
>     > 10-15MB should be enough for minimal system (like
>     > routing/firewalling/NAT)

That was somebody else. To me it, sounds painful to try to wedge a
system into 20mb. It would be fine if you were building turn-key
systems, but as an introduction to NetBSD, no fun at all.

> Excellent, perhaps I've finally found a use for my 20Mb 3.5"
> ATA hard disk! <grin> Seriously though, I was just wondering
> which sets to download onto my minimal test platform.  I got
> the three sets mentioned, and I'm almost ready to attempt an
> install.  If only I can figure out how to make a disklabel
> that will enable me to install from a FAT partition, I
> should be able to get started with NetBSD.

Are you sure you have to? The default disklabel (the result of
"disklabel wd0" when there is no disklabel) should have the "C:" drive
as /dev/wd0e. So you go to the "Utility Menu", -> "Run /bin/sh",

	disklabel wd0	# Note the parameters for "e"
	mkdir c
	mount -t msdos /dev/wd0e /c

Ctl-D back to sysinstall, "Exit" back to the main menu, and proceed to
install from a mounted partition. I think the already mounted
partition will be unaffected by the new disklabel. (I could be wrong,
but I could've sworn I've done this.) If you want to continue to have
access to the MSDOS partition from NetBSD, after you've booted from
NetBSD for the first time, and you've adjusted /etc/rc.conf, you can
add the "e" partiton back in:

	disklabel -W wd0
	disklabel -e wd0	# add "e" here
	disklabel -N wd0

create the mount point directory (say it's "/c"), and a line to
/etc/fstab like

/dev/wd0e	/c	msdos	rw,noauto

so you can "mount /c", "umount /c" whenever you want.


Frederick