on 2/27/00 12:26 AM, gabriel rosenkoetter at gr@eclipsed.net wrote:

> Is "there's no tape drive and no other free disk" enough?

    Yes :) And writing to the network is faster than writing to tape anyway.
 
> Oh, I was thinking of the update-my-firmware-with-software variety.
> I'm not *that* bothered by the early OF. (Though... I may look for one
> eventually.)

    Only B&W G3's on up have updateable firmware. Honestly, (personal
opinion) I wouldn't be surprised if the OF simms actually had "flashrom" on
them and support was never written to flash them. I have some DECstations
here that were designed in 1991 and they have flashroms, but DEC never wrote
anything to fix them.

> Erm... how do you mean?
> 
> Do you mean for me to boot from an install-specific kernel and run
> sysinst without ever booting from the floppy?
> 
> Or do you mean to build a new kernel and install it with the floppy
> in place of the one in kern.tgz?

    It actually doesn't matter. What I should have said is that the install
kernel (either the MD image or a floppy boot) never makes it onto your HD,
sysinst reads the kernel in kern.tgz and writes it into /netbsd.

> Move what over where after the install?
> 
> Oh, wait, I get it... build the new kernel with the current system,
> boot from the floppy, install the packages (minus kern and etc), move
> the new kernel over (presevering my 1.4P one).
> 
> If that's what you meant, that makes a lot of sense to me.

    Yep, that's what I meant.

>> I have no idea.
> 
> Good enough!
> 
> (Judging by what scrolls across the screen during a mac68k install -
> one of which is going on right behind me - I don't need to worry as
> none of the tar balls have anything destined for these directories.)

    I would hope that tar (pax in the install?) is smart enough not to
overwrite files with an empty directory :)

>>> 4) Anything I'm missing towards this goal?
>> Back up your /etc and /var if you can/have a need to.
> 
> Sensible.
> 
> What about devices? Do I need run MAKEDEV with the new system? With a
> new MAKEDEV? Change flags in my kernel setup (on behalf of wscons, I'd
> guess)?

    sysinst will make the device files for you automagically with a fresh
install, I don't remember if you do an upgrade what it will do. Wouldn't
hurt to make sure you have devices by mounting your root to /mnt after the
install to check. Booting a system with no device files doesn't make NetBSD
happy :)


    Chris
-- 
    "I use to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure..."