Annotation of wikisrc/tutorials/how_to_install_netbsd_from_an_usb_memory_stick.mdwn, revision 1.8
1.1 mspo 1: This describes how to install NetBSD (i386/amd64) using a Memory Stick instead of a CD-ROM Drive.
2:
3: **Contents**
4:
5: [[!toc levels=3]]
6:
7:
1.7 wiki 8: # With an downloaded image
1.2 jdf 9: From NetBSD 5.1.2 on for the i386 and amd64 ports it is possible to download a
1.4 wiki 10: memory stick image for installing instead of downloading and transforming a CD image.
1.2 jdf 11:
12: This section describes in detail how to use this method. If you want to create
13: an image yourself, please see below.
14:
1.7 wiki 15: ## Downloading the installation image
1.2 jdf 16: Installation images are available on the [NetBSD
17: mirrors](http://www.netbsd.org/mirrors/) under the images/ directory, their
18: filenames match the *install.img.gz pattern.
19:
1.3 wiki 20: For example if we want to download NetBSD 6.0 for i386:
1.2 jdf 21:
1.3 wiki 22: # ftp ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/NetBSD-6.0/images/NetBSD-6.0-i386-install.img.gz
1.2 jdf 23:
1.7 wiki 24: ## Copying the installation image to the memory stick
1.2 jdf 25: To prepare the memory stick under a Unix system you can just use
26: [[!template id=man name="dd" section="1"]].
1.8 ! leot 27: Whenever using dd(1), remember to set the blocksize by specifying the
! 28: <code>bs</code> parameter in order to speed up the write to the installation
! 29: media a bit (e.g. 1m).
1.2 jdf 30: For example if the memory stick is recognized as sd0 (**Warning: this will
31: overwrite all the contents on your memory stick**):
32:
1.3 wiki 33: # gunzip NetBSD-6.0-i386-install.img.gz
1.8 ! leot 34: # dd if=NetBSD-6.0-i386-install.img of=/dev/rsd0d bs=1m
1.2 jdf 35:
1.7 wiki 36: ## Installation process
1.2 jdf 37: After NetBSD is booted from the memory stick the installation process is
38: usual (you can find an example in
1.5 wiki 39: [The NetBSD Guide](http://www.netbsd.org/docs/guide/en/chap-exinst.html)).
1.2 jdf 40: Just pay attention when choosing the installation media: if you want
41: to install using the installation sets on the memory stick when
42: [choosing the installation
43: media](http://www.netbsd.org/docs/guide/en/chap-exinst.html#exinst-choose-media)
44: select <code>g: local directory</code> and then clear the *base* (by default it points
45: to release/).
46:
1.1 mspo 47:
1.7 wiki 48: # Build your own image
1.6 wiki 49: Use <code>build.sh -U release install-image</code>
1.5 wiki 50: with your usual build settings from your src directory.
1.1 mspo 51:
1.5 wiki 52: Carry on with [the instructions after download](#index2h2) above.
1.1 mspo 53:
54:
1.7 wiki 55: # Manual method
1.1 mspo 56:
1.7 wiki 57: ## Make the Memory Stick bootable
1.1 mspo 58:
1.7 wiki 59: First, install the Master Boot Record (MBR):
1.1 mspo 60:
61: # fdisk -i /dev/rsd0d
62:
1.7 wiki 63: Then, create an fdisk partition for NetBSD:
1.1 mspo 64:
1.7 wiki 65: # fdisk -u /dev/rsd0d
66: Disk: /dev/rsd0d
67: NetBSD disklabel disk geometry:
68: cylinders: 974, heads: 128, sectors/track: 8 (1024 sectors/cylinder)
69: total sectors: 997375
70: BIOS disk geometry:
71: cylinders: 974, heads: 128, sectors/track: 8 (1024 sectors/cylinder)
72: total sectors: 997375
73: Do you want to change our idea of what BIOS thinks? [n] n
74: Partition table:
75: 0: Primary DOS with 32 bit FAT (sysid 11)
76: start 8, size 997367 (487 MB, Cyls 0-973/127/8)
77: 1: <UNUSED>
78: 2: <UNUSED>
79: 3: <UNUSED>
80: Bootselector disabled.
81: Which partition do you want to change?: [none] 0
82: The data for partition 0 is:
83: Primary DOS with 32 bit FAT (sysid 11)
84: start 8, size 997367 (487 MB, Cyls 0-973/127/8)
85: sysid: [0..255 default: 11] 169
86: start: [0..974cyl default: 8, 0cyl, 0MB] (RETURN)
87: size: [0..974cyl default: 997367, 974cyl, 487MB]
88: bootmenu: [] (RETURN)
89: Partition table:
90: 0: NetBSD (sysid 169)
91: start 8, size 997367 (487 MB, Cyls 0-973/127/8)
92: 1: <UNUSED>
93: 2 :<UNUSED>
94: 3: <UNUSED>
95: Bootselector disabled.
96: Which partition do you want to change?: [none] (RETURN)
97: We haven't written the MBR back to disk yet. This is your last chance.
98: Partition table:
99: 0: NetBSD (sysid 169)
100: start 8, size 997367 (487 MB, Cyls 0-973/127/8)
101: 1: <UNUSED>
102: 2: <UNUSED>
103: 3: <UNUSED>
104: Bootselector disabled.
105: Should we write new partition table? [n] y
106:
107:
108:
109: After that, set the NetBSD partition active (it's partition Number 0):
110:
111: # fdisk -a /dev/rsd0d
112: Disk: /dev/rsd0d
113: NetBSD disklabel disk geometry:
114: cylinders: 974, heads: 128, sectors/track: 8 (1024 sectors/cylinder)
115: total sectors: 997375
116: BIOS disk geometry:
117: cylinders: 974, heads: 128, sectors/track: 8 (1024 sectors/cylinder)
118: total sectors: 997375
119: Partition table:
120: 0: NetBSD (sysid 169)
121: start 8, size 997367 (487 MB, Cyls 0-973/127/8)
122: 1: <UNUSED>
123: 2: <UNUSED>
124: 3: <UNUSED>
125: Bootselector disabled.
126: Do you want to change the active partition? [n] y
127: Choosing 4 will make no partition active.
128: active partition: [0..4 default: 4] 0
129: Are you happy with this choice? [n] y
130:
131: Then, create the NetBSD disklabel and add the partitions "a" and "d":
132:
133: # disklabel -i -I sd0
134: partition> a
135: Filesystem type [?] [MSDOS]: 4.2BSD
136: Start offset ('x' to start after partition 'x') [0.0078125c, 8s, 0.00390625M]: 63
137: Partition size ('$' for all remaining) [973.991c, 997367s, 486.996M]: $
138: partition> d
139: Filesystem type [?] [unused]: (RETURN)
140: Start offset ('x' to start after partition 'x') [0c, 0s, 0M]: (RETURN)
141: Partition size ('$' for all remaining) [973.999c, 997375s, 487M]: (RETURN)
142: partition> W
143: Label disk [n]? y
144: Label written
145: We haven't written the MBR back to disk yet. This is your last chance.
146: Should we write new partition table? [n] y
1.1 mspo 147:
1.7 wiki 148: Next, create a new NetBSD filesystem on partition sd0a:
1.1 mspo 149:
150: # newfs /dev/rsd0a
151:
1.7 wiki 152: Now, make the partition sd0a bootable:
1.1 mspo 153:
1.7 wiki 154: # mkdir /stick
155: # mount /dev/sd0a /stick
156: # cp /usr/mdec/boot /stick
157: # umount /stick
158: # installboot -v -o timeout=1 /dev/rsd0a /usr/mdec/bootxx_ffsv1
1.1 mspo 159:
160:
1.7 wiki 161: ## Copy the installation sets to the Memory Stick
1.1 mspo 162:
1.7 wiki 163: For the installation you need an installation kernel and the installation sets. To get them, fetch for example a NetBSD CD-image file from a local FTP-Mirror [1](http://www.netbsd.org/mirrors/#ftp):
1.1 mspo 164:
165: $ cd /home/mark
166: $ ftp -a ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/iso/4.0.1/i386cd-4.0.1.iso
167:
1.7 wiki 168: Now mount the CD-image file:
1.1 mspo 169:
170: $ su
171: # mkdir /image
172: # vnconfig -c vnd0 /home/mark/i386cd-4.0.1.iso
173: # mount_cd9660 /dev/vnd0d /image
174:
1.7 wiki 175: And then, mount the Memory Stick and copy the **Install kernel** and **sets**:
1.1 mspo 176:
177: # mount /dev/sd0a /stick
178: # cp /image/i386/binary/kernel/netbsd-INSTALL.gz /stick/netbsd.gz
179: # cp -R /image/i386/binary/sets /stick/sets
180: # umount /stick
181: # rmdir /stick
182:
1.7 wiki 183: Now you can unmount the CD-image:
1.1 mspo 184:
185: # umount /image
186: # vnconfig -u vnd0
187: # rmdir /image
188:
189: The Memory Stick is now ready to boot the NetBSD-Install system. Just reboot and change your BIOS to boot the USB Memory Stick.
190:
1.7 wiki 191: ## The installation process
1.1 mspo 192:
193: If the Memory Stick boots fine, proceed with the Installation as usual, but the selection of the Install-sets is not quite intuitive:
194:
195: "Your disk is now ready for installing the kernel and the distributions sets [...]"
196: [...]
197: Install from
198: f: Unmounted fs
199:
200: Press RETURN and the following screen appears:
201:
202: "Enter the unmounted local device and directory on that device where the distribution is located. [...]"
203:
204: Choose the following options:
205:
206: a: Device sd0a
207: b: File system ffs
208: c: Base directory
209: d: Set directory /sets
210:
211: Yes, "c: Base directory" is left empty, because we had copied the distribution .tgz files to the /sets directory on the Memory Stick (9.)
212:
213: Now continue with the installation as usual. Good luck!
214:
215:
1.7 wiki 216: ## Alternative Method
1.1 mspo 217:
218: An alternative setup method saves space on the Stick at the expense of sysinst automation and is therefore more advanced. This method skips the sysinst tool by copying the sets and the **normal** GENERIC Kernel instead of the install-Kernel.
219:
1.7 wiki 220: Extract the sets from the harddisk directly on to the Memory stick (/mnt):
1.1 mspo 221:
222: # tar xvfzp sets.tgz -C /mnt
223:
1.7 wiki 224: Extract the Kernel to the target root:
1.1 mspo 225:
226: # tar xvfzp GENERIC-kernel.tgz -C /mnt
227:
228: All you need to do is now to create a valid /etc/fstab and modify /etc/rc.conf to RC_CONFIGURED=yes on the target root (/mnt) and reboot. All fine tuning can be done, when you're logged in.
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