Glenn Jarvis wrote:

> der Mouse wrote:
>
>>
>> Well, there are a lot of mindset changes you'll have to make to really
>> get your head around it, but I think perhaps we can ease you into it
>> bit by bit. :-)
>>
>>
>>
> That would be good :-)
>
>>> I'm tried to install NetBSD on an older system,but encountered a
>>> problem. Here's the layout of the box...
>>>
>> [trimmed for relevance -dM]
>>
>>
>>> SoundBlaster Vibra 16bit (with IDE interface)
>>> 1.2GB Hard Disk (C- Drive)
>>> 1.0GB Hard Disk (D-Drive)
>>> Creative CD5220 CDROM
>>> Floppy/HD Controller - Who knows.. 16bit noname
>>>
>>
>> You don't say where everything is connected, except for referring to
>> "the CDROM on the SB IDE interface"; am I correct to infer that the
>> "Floppy/HD Controller" has only one IDE chain, and it has the two disks
>> on it?
>>
>>
> That would be correct. The box used to have a VESA controller with 
> secondary channels for both the fd and hd, but it croaked last week. 
> The backup controller is in it's place (16bit) and only allows primary.
>
>>
>>
>>> Now the problem was it couldn't identify the CDROM on the SB IDE
>>> interface.
>>>
>>
>> This doesn't much surprise me; such things often have to be explicitly
>> configured, especially if (as I suspect) this is a pre-PCI machine.
>>
>>
> You're right. It's a VESA machine. Geez, time flies... I'm remember 
> how old the box is now :-)
>
>> <>
>>
>>> Will it need to access it because D-Drive has been added?
>>>
>>
>> I'm not sure what you're asking here. Perhaps it's just because _I_
>> don't understand the mindset _you're_ coming from, but I can't see any
>> reason why adding the other disk would make it need to access the CD
>> drive, which leads me to suspect you're actually trying to ask
>> something else and phrasing it in a way that's confused me.
>>
>>
>>
> I was pretty tired when I wrote that, so I'll give it another go. Try 
> and bear with me. If I take for example my (yech)Windows box and add a 
> another HD, it realizes a new drive has been added. Normally it 
> doesn't require the Windows CD , but who knows...(and that I say 
> sarcastically of course). Since I'm unfamiliar with the UNIX o/s, I 
> wasn't sure if it would ask for the CD that I burned the NetBSD ISO's 
> to. If it can't find the CDROM on the ide channel of the sound card, 
> I'd be in a bit of a spot.
> Hopefully this made sense :-)
>
> Glenn
>
It will not ask for the CD-ROM. Here is a nice how-to for adding a 
second HD on a running NetBSD system.

http://www.mclink.it/personal/MG2508/nbsdeng/chap-misc.html#AEN5437

Good luck.

chuey