wikisrc/tutorials/how_to_install_netbsd_from_an_usb_memory_stick.mdwn - view

File: [NetBSD Developer Wiki] / wikisrc / tutorials / how_to_install_netbsd_from_an_usb_memory_stick.mdwn
Revision 1.10: download - view: text, annotated - select for diffs
Sat May 21 09:52:39 2016 UTC (4 years, 5 months ago) by leot
Branches: MAIN
CVS tags: HEAD

Clarify that we need to use `sd0d' in NetBSD to refer to the entire disk.
Also add an example regarding how to write the `.img' from Linux.

Thanks to buhara13 and cemkayali for the suggestions!

1: This describes how to install NetBSD (i386/amd64) using a Memory Stick instead 2: of a CD-ROM Drive. 3: 4: **Contents** 5: 6: [[!toc levels=3]] 7: 8: 9: # With an downloaded image 10: From NetBSD 5.1.2 on for the i386 and amd64 ports it is possible to download a 11: memory stick image for installing instead of downloading and transforming a CD image. 12: 13: This section describes in detail how to use this method. If you want to create 14: an image yourself, please see below. 15: 16: ## Downloading the installation image 17: Installation images are available on the [NetBSD 18: mirrors](http://www.netbsd.org/mirrors/) under the images/ directory, their 19: filenames match the *install.img.gz pattern. 20: 21: For example if we want to download NetBSD 6.0 for i386: 22: 23: # ftp ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/NetBSD-6.0/images/NetBSD-6.0-i386-install.img.gz 24: 25: ## Copying the installation image to the memory stick 26: To prepare the memory stick under a Unix system you can just use 27: [[!template id=man name="dd" section="1"]]. 28: Whenever using dd(1), remember to set the blocksize by specifying the 29: <code>bs</code> parameter in order to speed up the write to the installation 30: media a bit (e.g. 1m). 31: For example if the memory stick is recognized as `sd0` (**Warning: this will 32: overwrite all the contents on your memory stick**): 33: 34: # gunzip NetBSD-6.0-i386-install.img.gz 35: # dd if=NetBSD-6.0-i386-install.img of=/dev/rsd0d bs=1m 36: 37: In the previous command we have used `rsd0d` in order to refer to the *whole* 38: `sd0` disk. 39: 40: On Linux the command is similar although it need some minor adjustments, if the 41: memory stick is recognized as `sdb` (**Warning: this will overwrite all the 42: contents on your memory stick**): 43: 44: # gunzip NetBSD-6.0-i386-install.img.gz 45: # dd if=NetBSD-6.0-i386-install.img of=/dev/sdb bs=1M 46: 47: ## Installation process 48: After NetBSD is booted from the memory stick the installation process is 49: usual (you can find an example in 50: [The NetBSD Guide](http://www.netbsd.org/docs/guide/en/chap-exinst.html)). 51: Just pay attention when choosing the installation media: if you want 52: to install using the installation sets on the memory stick when 53: [choosing the installation 54: media](http://www.netbsd.org/docs/guide/en/chap-exinst.html#exinst-choose-media) 55: select <code>g: local directory</code> and then clear the *base* (by default it points 56: to release/). 57: 58: 59: # Build your own image 60: Use <code>build.sh -U release install-image</code> 61: with your usual build settings from your src directory. 62: 63: Carry on with [the instructions after download](#index2h2) above. 64: 65: 66: # Manual method 67: 68: ## Make the Memory Stick bootable 69: 70: First, install the Master Boot Record (MBR): 71: 72: # fdisk -i /dev/rsd0d 73: 74: Then, create an fdisk partition for NetBSD: 75: 76: # fdisk -u /dev/rsd0d 77: Disk: /dev/rsd0d 78: NetBSD disklabel disk geometry: 79: cylinders: 974, heads: 128, sectors/track: 8 (1024 sectors/cylinder) 80: total sectors: 997375 81: BIOS disk geometry: 82: cylinders: 974, heads: 128, sectors/track: 8 (1024 sectors/cylinder) 83: total sectors: 997375 84: Do you want to change our idea of what BIOS thinks? [n] n 85: Partition table: 86: 0: Primary DOS with 32 bit FAT (sysid 11) 87: start 8, size 997367 (487 MB, Cyls 0-973/127/8) 88: 1: <UNUSED> 89: 2: <UNUSED> 90: 3: <UNUSED> 91: Bootselector disabled. 92: Which partition do you want to change?: [none] 0 93: The data for partition 0 is: 94: Primary DOS with 32 bit FAT (sysid 11) 95: start 8, size 997367 (487 MB, Cyls 0-973/127/8) 96: sysid: [0..255 default: 11] 169 97: start: [0..974cyl default: 8, 0cyl, 0MB] (RETURN) 98: size: [0..974cyl default: 997367, 974cyl, 487MB] 99: bootmenu: [] (RETURN) 100: Partition table: 101: 0: NetBSD (sysid 169) 102: start 8, size 997367 (487 MB, Cyls 0-973/127/8) 103: 1: <UNUSED> 104: 2 :<UNUSED> 105: 3: <UNUSED> 106: Bootselector disabled. 107: Which partition do you want to change?: [none] (RETURN) 108: We haven't written the MBR back to disk yet. This is your last chance. 109: Partition table: 110: 0: NetBSD (sysid 169) 111: start 8, size 997367 (487 MB, Cyls 0-973/127/8) 112: 1: <UNUSED> 113: 2: <UNUSED> 114: 3: <UNUSED> 115: Bootselector disabled. 116: Should we write new partition table? [n] y 117: 118: 119: 120: After that, set the NetBSD partition active (it's partition Number 0): 121: 122: # fdisk -a /dev/rsd0d 123: Disk: /dev/rsd0d 124: NetBSD disklabel disk geometry: 125: cylinders: 974, heads: 128, sectors/track: 8 (1024 sectors/cylinder) 126: total sectors: 997375 127: BIOS disk geometry: 128: cylinders: 974, heads: 128, sectors/track: 8 (1024 sectors/cylinder) 129: total sectors: 997375 130: Partition table: 131: 0: NetBSD (sysid 169) 132: start 8, size 997367 (487 MB, Cyls 0-973/127/8) 133: 1: <UNUSED> 134: 2: <UNUSED> 135: 3: <UNUSED> 136: Bootselector disabled. 137: Do you want to change the active partition? [n] y 138: Choosing 4 will make no partition active. 139: active partition: [0..4 default: 4] 0 140: Are you happy with this choice? [n] y 141: 142: Then, create the NetBSD disklabel and add the partitions "a" and "d": 143: 144: # disklabel -i -I sd0 145: partition> a 146: Filesystem type [?] [MSDOS]: 4.2BSD 147: Start offset ('x' to start after partition 'x') [0.0078125c, 8s, 0.00390625M]: 63 148: Partition size ('$' for all remaining) [973.991c, 997367s, 486.996M]: $ 149: partition> d 150: Filesystem type [?] [unused]: (RETURN) 151: Start offset ('x' to start after partition 'x') [0c, 0s, 0M]: (RETURN) 152: Partition size ('$' for all remaining) [973.999c, 997375s, 487M]: (RETURN) 153: partition> W 154: Label disk [n]? y 155: Label written 156: We haven't written the MBR back to disk yet. This is your last chance. 157: Should we write new partition table? [n] y 158: 159: Next, create a new NetBSD filesystem on partition sd0a: 160: 161: # newfs /dev/rsd0a 162: 163: Now, make the partition sd0a bootable: 164: 165: # mkdir /stick 166: # mount /dev/sd0a /stick 167: # cp /usr/mdec/boot /stick 168: # umount /stick 169: # installboot -v -o timeout=1 /dev/rsd0a /usr/mdec/bootxx_ffsv1 170: 171: 172: ## Copy the installation sets to the Memory Stick 173: 174: 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): 175: 176: $ cd /home/mark 177: $ ftp -a ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/iso/4.0.1/i386cd-4.0.1.iso 178: 179: Now mount the CD-image file: 180: 181: $ su 182: # mkdir /image 183: # vnconfig -c vnd0 /home/mark/i386cd-4.0.1.iso 184: # mount_cd9660 /dev/vnd0d /image 185: 186: And then, mount the Memory Stick and copy the **Install kernel** and **sets**: 187: 188: # mount /dev/sd0a /stick 189: # cp /image/i386/binary/kernel/netbsd-INSTALL.gz /stick/netbsd.gz 190: # cp -R /image/i386/binary/sets /stick/sets 191: # umount /stick 192: # rmdir /stick 193: 194: Now you can unmount the CD-image: 195: 196: # umount /image 197: # vnconfig -u vnd0 198: # rmdir /image 199: 200: The Memory Stick is now ready to boot the NetBSD-Install system. Just reboot and change your BIOS to boot the USB Memory Stick. 201: 202: ## The installation process 203: 204: If the Memory Stick boots fine, proceed with the Installation as usual, but the selection of the Install-sets is not quite intuitive: 205: 206: "Your disk is now ready for installing the kernel and the distributions sets [...]" 207: [...] 208: Install from 209: f: Unmounted fs 210: 211: Press RETURN and the following screen appears: 212: 213: "Enter the unmounted local device and directory on that device where the distribution is located. [...]" 214: 215: Choose the following options: 216: 217: a: Device sd0a 218: b: File system ffs 219: c: Base directory 220: d: Set directory /sets 221: 222: Yes, "c: Base directory" is left empty, because we had copied the distribution .tgz files to the /sets directory on the Memory Stick (9.) 223: 224: Now continue with the installation as usual. Good luck! 225: 226: 227: ## Alternative Method 228: 229: 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. 230: 231: Extract the sets from the harddisk directly on to the Memory stick (/mnt): 232: 233: # tar xvfzp sets.tgz -C /mnt 234: 235: Extract the Kernel to the target root: 236: 237: # tar xvfzp GENERIC-kernel.tgz -C /mnt 238: 239: 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.