Also, why is there a fundemental dependancy on the GNU info system
   	to bootstrap NetBSD 1.4?

because NetBSD builds info files for all the info-documentation
provided with the software in NetBSD.  it's our "groff for .info
files", so to speak.  it is only as fundemental as this.
   
   	I found it rather irking, especially since I had an earlier version
   	of GNU info installed in /usr/local/bin already, when
   	I tried to start the build from 1.3.3 -> 1.4 and the makeinfo stuff
   	brought it to a grinding halt.

there are *always* a lot of bootstrapping problems building NetBSD
sources from an earlier release (be it 1.3B -> 1.3K, or 1.3 to 1.4,
or whatever).  surely you need to install new versions of several
other tools (flex and yacc come to mind, due to the WARNSification)?
   
   	I've been able to build new versions of NetBSD/Amiga from the old
   	since 0.9 days or so and I found the requirement for GNU info just to
   	bootstrap irritating...

well, you can always disable .info processing with `make MKINFO=no'.
   
   	The suspected pool panic has stopped the process for now but I'd still
   	would like to know why the build process for BSD now has an extra GNU
   	dependancy that it doesn't REALLY need... B^(. Can we add a
   	MKINFO=no or something to the basic bootstrap to forego the need for
   	info during initial bootstrapping?

oh, gee.. you meantioned exactly what exists but didn't try it?


oops :)