>>- why is it so ... small?

>Good tight code.  ;)  Although, I think that probably the NetBSD
>distribution puts more things in the package system and less in
>the core distribution to give you more choices as to what you want
>on your system.

NetBSD current (19990620) sums up to exactly 45851 Kb. Considering the
difficulty with formatting, booting and then transfering the system,
would'nt it be easier to distribute an image file of a bootable floppy?
The installation at that stage would be really a snap:
 1. download the image 
 2. save it on floppy
 3. boot from the floppy 
   - you are on UNIX, easy!
 4. format the HD partition, copy the system, reboot without floppy.

 easy, easy easy...

 Since all the trouble is how to get started, this would solve
 quite well (and I can finally pass from Linux to BSD!).

Sergio