Very Computer

Hi!,

I have netBSD running on a machine. I want to install bsd on another
hard drive so that i can use it on a new machine. Is it possible, and
how do I go about doing it? I will be thankful for any suggestions.

thanking you,
craig.

Quote:> Hi!,

> I have netBSD running on a machine. I want to install bsd on another
> hard drive so that i can use it on a new machine. Is it possible, and
> how do I go about doing it? I will be thankful for any suggestions.

Sure. I did it on one of my machines for another machine that didn't have a
working floppy drive and a non-bootable CD drive. I would disconnect all
your other hard drives, stick in the new hard drive, and do a regular
install. This only works on machines of the same architecture, though.

--

-- http://www.cs.earlham.edu/~skylar/

If the new drive on which the OS is installed is not the primary master
then the /etc/fstab file will have to be edited before removing the drive
and placing it into the other machine.

On 7 Jun 2003 09:56:28 -0700

Do I understand the problem correctly?  You have two boxes, one up and
running NetBSD, the other not.  To install NetBSD on the second box you
propose to take the disk drive from it and temporarily connect it to the
first box, use the first box to install NetBSD onto the disk drive, then
move the disk drive back to the second box.  Is that correct?

Assuming that's correct:

1.  Sure, you can do that, but it would probably be easier to do it some
other way.  If the second box has no removable media or network
interface it can boot from, this might be your only choice.

2.  If the two boxes are the same architecture and will both be running
the same or similar systems, it'll be a piece of cake, relatively.  If
different, it could be something of a challenge.

3.  Basically:

        a. fdisk or whatever your architecture uses to write boot
blocks.  As always, the very first step is the least familiar and most
critical.

        b. disklabel

        c. newfs

        d. mount the root fs of the "new" disk on (say) /mnt on the host
system, and mount the rest of the filesystems below that.

        e. untar the distribution tarballs into /mnt.

        f. take a quick look at /mnt/etc/{rc.conf,fstab,...}.  This isn't
necessary, but might be convenient.

        g. pull the disk drive out and put it back into Box 2, and see if it'll
boot.  If not, spend some more time with the manual, move the disk drive
back to Box 1, and goto step 'a' above.