[olug] NetBSD 1.6 on Mac Classic II

[William Haisch]

On Monday, March 3, 2003, at 12:00  PM, olug-request at olug.org wrote:

> I think I have a Performa 400 somewhere (68030 I think?).  Did you 
> install from floppies?  Do you have a gui installed?  I think mine 
> only had 4MB of ram when it was new, and I can't remember if I ever 
> put more in it.
>
> -Ryan
>

I downloaded the ISO image from netbsd.org and burned it from my 
Mandrake 9 box using cdrecord.  The Performa 400 is on the supported 
list of machines for NetBSD 1.6.  4 MB RAM is the absolute minimum RAM 
that NetBSD can survive in.  I upgraded the memory in my Classic II to 
10 MB (max, same as Pf 400) just because I had it around.  I believe 
the install docs suggested at least 80 MB hard drive minimum but I had 
a 1GB hard drive lying around that I threw in.  I would suggest 100 to 
250 if you have it handy.  If you're just goofing around with it just 
for fun (ha, ha, ha) then the Performa 400 should work okay.  I would 
not install the X components, as the system is slow enough as it is.  I 
tried using the "sysinst" method, but I could not get the partitioning 
to work.  So I had to use the the traditional install (a few more steps 
but it worked!)

Other Tips:
- Read, follow, and understand the INSTALL documentation.
- Re-read, re-verify, and re-understand the INSTALL documentation.
- Re-re-read, re-re-verify, and re-re-understand the INSTALL 
documentation.
- This is no speed demon (or daemon?).  This will easily kill your 
perfectly good weekend (i.e. ALL weekend).
- Try the "sysinst" method first.  After you have finished cussing, 
feel free to try the traditional install method.
- Use Apple's A/UX version of the HD SC hard drive partitioning tool or 
the MKFS utility on the CD.  Use the MKFS util to retype and format the 
partitions as NetBSD. NetBSD won't install on A/UX formatted partitions.
- It will take about 12 - 16 hours for the files to be copied, 
uncompressed, and installed off the CD.  Check on it every 8 hours for 
errors.  The speed (or lack of) the processor, hard drive, 2x CD made 
my basic non-X install about 12 hours long.
- After installation, you have to setup the rc.conf file, otherwise it 
will continue to boot up in single user mode as root.

If anyone is interested, I'd volunteer for a quick talk about my perils 
of installing NetBSD on the ole Classic II at the next OLUG meeting.

-Wm.
----------
William Haisch
bill at whaisch.com