Subject: Installing NetBSD or XKernel to a Diskless Sun3 w/4mb
To: None <port-sun3@NetBSD.ORG>
From: Jeff Rhyason <jeffr@agt.net>
List: port-sun3
Date: 05/23/1996 22:50:40
First of all, let me say that the NetBSD project is one of the best 
things that the Net has ever had a part in producing and I am 
eternally appreciative of all the work everyone has put in to the 
project.  But I have a question.

I think I am trying to push the Installation Instructions to the 
limit by attempting to install NetBSD onto a diskless 3/60 from a 
Linux server.  I am encountering several problems and would love some 
advice from anyone who can offer it.

When I boot using netboot and mount a remote directory in /mnt, I 
get "Permission Denied" on particular things.  Soemtimes it's on the 
whole directory, or just subdirectories, or random files in the 
directory.  Every file on the server side is owned by root, group 
root, and is mode 775 or 664.  That's an annoyance more than it is a 
problem; I can deal with randomness :-)  The real problem comes when 
I try to write to the filesystem (when both the ramdisk and the nfs 
filesystem have been remounted read/writable).

Is it possible that this error comes about because of the lack of 
physical memory (there is only 4mb in there) and swap space?  I know 
that I get the message "panic: init (something)ed" when trying to 
boot the Xkernel SunOS derivatibe.

Since I have no place to write the miniroot filesystem to, I thought 
I might be able to mount it FROM the mounted NFS file system as if it 
was a device (ex: mount_nfs 123.123.123.1:/asdf /mnt ; mount 
/mnt/miniroot /mnt2 ), however, this requires having a writable 
filesystem, which I am able to achieve with mount -o rw / (I was just 
guessing on that one).  

Is all this standard practice, or is there a better way to install?  
Is there anyplace to get  (or anyone who is willing to donate)
a live filesystem image?

Thanks,
	Jeff


---
Jeff Rhyason, Software Engineer, Enernet Technologies
jeffr@enernet.com

"Don't Sacrifice What You Want Most for what you Want Now."
		-- Mr. Arland Reil