Subject: Re: More on Mac-side stuff (rev 2)
To: Richard Wackerbarth <rkw@dataplex.net>
From: Bill Studenmund <wrstuden@loki.Stanford.EDU>
List: macbsd-development
Date: 01/19/1995 17:26:22
> I propose that
> 1) Disk partitioning be left to (existing) Mac side HD formatting programs.
>    Eg: Silverlining, Apple HDSetup, etc.
>    The Apple format is NOT "standard". Let them worry with the problem.
>    We can simple find "our" partitions.

Definitly!

> 2) Use existing Mac side programs (Finder, Fetch, Stuffit, etc.) to move
>    a) the core installer files to some local disk.
>   b) (as needed) tarballs of the rest to some location accessible from NetBSD.
>      This may require multiple iterations for someone who has neither adequate
>      on-line storage nor a non-localtalk IP connection. If we ever get
>      floppies to work under NetBSD, then they might be a possibility.
> 3) Have the booter mount the originating folder of the Mac HFS as a
> read-only root. The minimal set of binaries and configuration options would
> be in Apple files. This set would include
>    a) a shell
>    b) mkfs
>    c) mount
>    d) tar or cpio
>    With this set you would format a file system and install enough of a
> system to reboot with it as the root.
> 4) Reboot and continue to use tar to bring in the rest of the files.
> 
> IMHO, the key to this approach is based on:
>    a) Simple step-by-step directions.
>    b) Auto-resuming shell scripts to "pick up where you left off" when some
> of the files were not available.
>    c) A simple "fill in the blanks" form to define the configuration.

That would probably be the best way to go for an instalation kit. Though it
would be nice to have a more-featured utility that could do the tar/gzip
copying/formating/fscking work from the MacOS. :-)

Take care,

Bill