install revision 1.10 1 Installing NetBSD is a relatively complex process, but if you have
2 this document in hand it shouldn't be too much trouble.
3
4 There are several ways to install NetBSD onto a disk. If your Sparcstation
5 is hooked up in a network you can find find a server and arrange for a
6 diskless setup which is a convenient way to install on a machine with
7 a single disk attached. Alternatively, you could use SunOS (booted from
8 a local disk) and install NetBSD onto a second disk. For the latter method,
9 skip to the section "Installing from SunOS" below.
10
11
12 Installing using a diskless setup.
13
14 First, you must setup a diskless client configuration on a server. If
15 you are using a NetBSD system as the boot-server, have a look at the
16 diskless(8) manual page for guidelines on how to proceed with this.
17 If the server runs another operating system, you'll have to consult
18 documentation that came with it (on SunOS systems, add_client(8) is a
19 good start).
20
21 Your Sparcstation expects to be able to download a second stage bootstrap
22 program via TFTP after havinf acquired its IP address through RevARP when
23 instructed to boot "over the net". It will look for a filename composed of
24 the machine's IP address followed by the machine's architecture, separated
25 by a period. For example, a sun4c machine which has been assigned IP
26 address 130.115.144.11, will make an TFTP request for `8273900B.SUN4C'.
27 Normally, this file is symbolic link to an appropriate second-stage
28 boot program, which should be located in a place where the TFTP daemon
29 can find it (remember, many TFTP daemons run in a chroot'ed environment).
30 You can find the boot program in `/usr/mdec/boot' in the NetBSD/sparc
31 distribution. Unfortunately, it is necessary to install this file
32 differently for sun4 and sun4c/sun4m clients: the sun4 version needs to
33 have its `a.out' header stripped off (otherwise the machine will crash),
34 while the sun4c/sun4m version must retain it (otherwise the PROM will
35 complain).
36
37 Luckily, there is a script in /usr/mdec to do all this for you. You only
38 need to do this:
39
40 server# cd /<client-root-dir>/usr/mdec
41 server# ./binstall net /<client-root-dir>
42
43
44 As noted above in the section `Preparing your System for NetBSD Installation',
45 you have several options when choosing a location to store the installation
46 filesets. However, the easiest way is to put the *.tar.gz files you want
47 to install into the root directory for your client on the server.
48
49 Next, unpack `base.tar.gz' and `etc.tar.gz' on the server in the root
50 directory for your machine. If you elect to use a separately NFS-mounted
51 filesystem for `/usr' with your diskless setup, make sure the "./usr" base
52 files in base.tar.gz end up in the correct location. One way to do this is
53 to temporarily use a loopback mount on the server, re-routing <root>/usr to
54 your server's exported NetBSD "/usr" directory. Also put the kernel and the
55 install/upgrade scripts into the root directory.
56
57 A few configuration files need to be edited:
58
59 <root>/etc/hosts
60 Add the IP addresses of both server and client.
61
62 <root>/etc/myname
63 This files contains the client's hostname; use the same
64 name as in <root>/etc/hosts.
65
66 <root>/etc/fstab
67 Enter the entries for the remotely mounted filesystems.
68 For example:
69 server:/export/root/client / nfs rw 0 0
70 server:/export/exec/sun4.netbsd /usr nfs rw 0 0
71
72 Now you must populate the the `/dev' directory for your client. If you server
73 runs SunOS 4.x, you can simply change your working directory to `<root>/dev'
74 and run the MAKEDEV script: `sh MAKEDEV all'.
75
76 On SunOS 5.x systems, MAKEDEV can also be used, but there'll be error
77 messages about unknown user and groups. These errors are inconsequential
78 for the purpose of installing NetBSD. However, you may want to correct them
79 if you plan to the diskless setup regularly. In that case, you may re-run
80 MAKEDEV on your NetBSD machine once it has booted.
81
82 Boot your workstation from the server by entering the appropriate `boot'
83 command at the monitor prompt. Depending on the PROM version in your machine,
84 this command takes one of the following forms:
85
86 > b le()netbsd -s # for sun4 monitors
87 ok boot le()netbsd -s # for version 1 OpenBOOT ROMs
88 ok boot net netbsd -s # for version 2 OpenBOOT ROMs
89
90 This will boot the NetBSD kernel in single-user mode.
91
92 [[
93 NOTE: the latter two examples assume you operate the OpenBOOT ROM in
94 "new command mode". If your machine comes up and gives you a `>' prompt
95 instead of `ok', type:
96
97 >n # enter native OpenBOOT mode
98 ok setenv sunmon-compat? false # make it permanent
99 ok
100 ]]
101
102 If you use a diskless setup with a separately NFS-mounted /usr filesystem,
103 mount /usr by hand now:
104
105 netbsd# mount /usr
106
107 At this point, it's worth checking the disk label and partition sizes on
108 the disk you want to install NetBSD onto. NetBSD understands SunOS-style
109 disklabels, so if your disk was previously used by SunOS there will be
110 a usable label on it. Use `disklabel -e <disk>' (where <disk> is the
111 device name assigned by the NetBSD kernel, e.g. `sd0') to view and
112 modify the partition sizes. A comfortable size for the root filesystem
113 partition is about 20MB; a good initial size for the swap partition is
114 twice the amount of physical memory in your machine (though, unlike
115 SunOS 4.x, there are no restrictions on the size of the swap partition
116 that would render part of your memory unusable). A full binary installation
117 takes about 60MB in `/usr'. Make all your partitions start and end on
118 cylinder boundaries.
119
120 NOTE: if you are installing on a SCSI disk that does *not* have a SunOS
121 or NetBSD label on it, you may still be able to use disklabel(8) but you'll
122 have to create all partitions from scratch. If your disk is listed in
123 `/etc/disktab', you may use the entry (which in most cases only defines
124 a `c' partition to describe the whole disk) to put an initial label on
125 the disk.
126
127 Here follows an example of what you'll see while in the dislabel editor.
128 Do not touch any of the parameters except for the `label: ' entry and
129 the actual partition size information at the bottom (the lines starting
130 with `a:', `b:', ...).
131
132 The size and offset fields are given in sector units. Be sure to make
133 these numbers multiples of the of the number of sectors per cylinder:
134 the kernel might be picky about these things, but aside from this you'll
135 have the least chance of wasting disk space.
136 Partitions on which you intend to have a a mountable filesystem, should
137 be given fstype `4.2BSD'. Remember, the `c' partition should describe
138 the whole disk.
139 The `(Cyl. x - y)' info that appears after the hash (`#') character is
140 treated as a comment and need not be filled in when altering partitions.
141
142 Special note: the line containing `8 partitions:' is best left alone,
143 even if you define less then eight partitions. If this line displays
144 a different number and the program complains about it (after you leave
145 the editor), then try setting it to `8 partitions:'.
146
147
148 <BEGIN SAMPLE DISKLABEL SCREEN>
149 netbsd# disklabel sd2
150 # /dev/rsd2c:
151 type: SCSI
152 disk: SCSI disk
153 label: Hold Your Breath
154 flags:
155 bytes/sector: 512
156 sectors/track: 64
157 tracks/cylinder: 7
158 sectors/cylinder: 448
159 cylinders: 1429
160 rpm: 3600
161 interleave: 1
162 trackskew: 0
163 cylinderskew: 0
164 headswitch: 0 # milliseconds
165 track-to-track seek: 0 # milliseconds
166 drivedata: 0
167
168 8 partitions:
169 # size offset fstype [fsize bsize cpg]
170 a: 50176 0 4.2BSD 0 0 0 # (Cyl. 0 - 111)
171 b: 64512 50176 swap # (Cyl. 112 - 255)
172 c: 640192 0 unknown # (Cyl. 0 - 1428)
173 d: 525504 114688 4.2BSD 0 0 0 # (Cyl. 256 - 1428)
174 <END SAMPLE DISKLABEL SCREEN>
175
176
177 If you are upgrading a NetBSD installation, start the upgrade script:
178
179 netbsd# sh upgrade.sh
180
181 else, start the installation script:
182
183 netbsd# sh install.sh
184
185
186 These scripts will do most of the work of transferring the system from the
187 tar files onto your disk. You will frequently be asked for confirmation
188 before the script proceeds with each phase of the installation process.
189 Occasionally, you'll have to provide a piece of information such as the
190 name of the disk you want to install on or IP addresses and domain names
191 you want to assign. If your system has more than one disk, you may want
192 to look at the output of the dmesg(8) command to see how your disks
193 have been identified by the kernel.
194
195 The installation script goes through the following phases:
196
197 - determination of the disk to install NetBSD on
198 - checking of the partition information on the disk
199 - creating and mounting the NetBSD filesystems
200 - setup of IP configuration
201 - extraction of the distribution tar files
202 - installation of boot programs
203
204
205 Now try a reboot. (If needed, swap your scsi id's first). Initially
206 I'd suggest you "boot sd()netbsd -bs", then try multiuser after that.
207 if you boot single-user the NetBSD incantation to make the root
208 filesystem writable is
209
210 netbsd# mount -u /dev/sd0a /
211
212 The Sun monitor normally tries to load a file called "vmunix". On
213 OpenBOOT ROM systems you can change it to load NetBSD instead using
214 the following commands:
215
216 On version 1 OpenBOOT ROMs:
217 >n
218 ok setenv boot-from sd(0,0,0)netbsd
219 ok
220
221 On version 2 OpenBOOT ROMs:
222 ok setenv boot-file netbsd
223 ok setenv boot-device /sbus/esp/sd@0,0
224
225
226 Congratulations, you have successfully installed NetBSD RELEASE. When you
227 reboot into NetBSD, you should log in as "root" at the login prompt.
228 There is no initial password, but if you're using the machine in a
229 networked environment, you should create yourself an account and
230 protect it and the "root" account with good passwords.
231
232 Some of the files in the NetBSD RELEASE distribution might need to be
233 tailored for your site. In particular, the /etc/sendmail.cf file will
234 almost definitely need to be adjusted, and other files in /etc will
235 probably need to be modified. If you are unfamiliar with UN*X-like
236 system administration, it's recommended that you buy a book that
237 discusses it.
238
239
240
241 Installing from SunOS.
242
243 You need a SunOS machine to install NetBSD. You also need at
244 least the following pieces:
245
246 the *.tar.gz files you want to install (as a minimum, base.tar.gz)
247 gzip (GNU gzip) SunOS binary
248 gtar (GNU tar) SunOS binary
249 the "install.sh" script
250 a "/boot" file from a SunOS machine that matches your machine type
251 (e.g. sun4 for sun4 server, sun4c and sun4m for these)
252 a kernel, most likely "/netbsd"
253
254 All these pieces, except "/boot", are supplied in the NetBSD/sparc
255 distribution.
256
257 You can format and partition the disk using SunOS (since
258 NetBSD/sparc uses SunOS disk labels.) Give yourself adequate
259 partition sizes. Here is an example layout:
260
261 partition size offset will be..
262 sd2a 28140 0 /
263 sd2b 16170 28140 swap
264 sd2c 204540 0 `whole disk'
265 sd2g 160230 44310 /usr
266
267 BTW, These are not recommended sizes. They simply match the first
268 (tiny) disk that NetBSD/sparc ran on.
269
270 Use SunOS to newfs the partitions which will have filesystems on them.
271 (NetBSD's filesystem format is identical to SunOS).
272
273 sunos# newfs /dev/rsd2a
274 [... lots of output]
275 sunos# newfs /dev/rsd2g
276 [... lots of output]
277
278 NOTE: If you are able to, there is a performance benefit from
279 newfs'ing using NetBSD. If you newfs using the NetBSD newfs command,
280 be sure to use the -O flag for your / partition, so that newfs will
281 use the 4.3BSD filesystem format, rather than the new 4.4BSD filesystem
282 format. If you forget, you will not be able to boot -- the SunOS boot
283 blocks do not understand the extended 4.4BSD filesystem format.
284
285 Mount those partitions in a tree formation, under /mnt; ie:
286
287 sunos# df
288 Filesystem kbytes used avail capacity Mounted on
289 [...]
290 /dev/sd2a 11501 0 11501 0% /mnt
291 /dev/sd2g 179529 0 179529 0% /mnt/usr
292
293 Place a standard SunOS "/boot" program in /mnt (your new root
294 partition), and use the SunOS command "installboot" to make it work.
295 The installboot man page says to do something like this:
296
297 sunos# cp /boot /mnt/boot
298 sunos# /usr/mdec/installboot -vlt /mnt/boot /usr/mdec/bootsd /dev/rsd2a
299
300 You can now extract the provided "*.tar.gz files onto your disk. The
301 provided script, "install_from_sunos.sh" will help you:
302
303 sunos# ls -FC
304 base.tar.gz etc.tar.gz man.tar.gz secr.tar.gz
305 comp.tar.gz games.tar.gz misc.tar.gz text.tar.gz
306 install.sh netbsd.id3_scsi
307 sunos# ./install_from_sunos.sh
308 [...]
309
310 This script NEEDS gzip and gtar (GNU gzip and GNU tar) on your
311 execution path! The tar files are in a "new format" that includes
312 directory information, and SunOS tar will not read them. Statically
313 linked versions of these programs for SunOS are supplied in the
314 distribution.
315
316 After the files have been extracted, repair /mnt/etc/fstab to match
317 your actual disk layout. (Minus the "/mnt" component of each path, of
318 course :-)
319
320 Now proceed to reboot the machine as described above in "Installing
321 using a diskless setup".
322