Suitable host to (cross-)build NetBSD?

["Thomas Mueller" <mueller6724%bellsouth.net@localhost>]

What kind of host can be used to build the NetBSD source code?

Could I use FreeBSD 9.0_BETA-1, or Linux?

I've been having great trouble installing NetBSD on my new Intel Sandy Bridge 
hardware and getting it to boot.

I tried netbsd-5 and HEAD from nyftp.netbsd.org, was able to install NetBSD 
5.1_STABLE on a Kingston Data Traveler 16 GB USB stick.
It booted, but went into immediate reboot when I tried to startx or even Xorg 
-configure.

I tried HEAD on my hard drive using GPT partitioning scheme, Western Digital 
Caviar Green 3 TB.  I had to unpack distribution sets manually since sysinst 
was completely helpless, and used etcupdate, but still could never get past the 
login, or past "passwd" when booting from the installation CD.

Actually, completely unable to boot a hard-drive installation, I used a 4 GB 
Ativa USB stick with /usr on the hard drive, but have decided against 
continuing this setup. 

I see sysinst doesn't work when installation partitions are already mounted 
(annoying!).

So I might be curious to build HEAD or netbsd-5 from source, using FreeBSD 
host, or possibly I could use that USB stick where I installed 5.1_STABLE, with 
source on a hard-drive partition, meaning it would not be /usr/src and 
/usr/xsrc.  Or I could use Linux host, booting from the System Rescue CD. 

I could follow the model from the NetBSD guide or from the build logs on 
releng.netbsd.org.

Still, there would be the question of how to get NetBSD to boot.

NetBSD seems much less promising than FreeBSD or Linux on my new hardware.

Tom