You can test/read and modify the contents of sysinst.fs and other similar files on a running NetBSD system. (See later note if you want to do this on a non NetBSD/atari system). As root: # vnconfig vnd0 sysinst.fs # mount /dev/vnd0a /mnt The contents of sysinst.fs are now available to be read, run or modified under /mnt You can also simulate running the files inside the miniroot in a chroot() so the shell can only see the files inside. Obviously if you let the install try to write to the disk containing the sysinst.fs file its all going to crash, but it should be possible to test installing to another disk. # env SHELL=/bin/sh chroot /mnt Finally when you are done: # umount /mnt # vnconfig -u vnd0 I've had a look inside the latest current build of sysinst.fs and I can't see any issues with the .profile file. Can you see any your end or possibly make the file you are using available? http://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/NetBSD-daily/HEAD/200811020002Z/atari/installation/miniroot/sysinst.fs.gz Note for non NetBSD/atari systems: The filesystem in sysinst.fs is big endian, which means it cannot be naturally read on a NetBSD/i386 box. The fix for that is to build a NetBSD/i386 kernel with FFS_EI enabled. You can then mount, read an modify the sysinst.fs, though obviously running the binaries is another matter.. On Tue, 4 Nov 2008, T. Makinen wrote:
On Tue, Nov 4, 2008 at 7:11 AM, David Ross <dross%pobox.com@localhost> wrote:Just to see what blocker we might hit next, I tried running sysinst manually. I was able to get up to the point where it should have started to format my drive, but I got a message about not being able to find /etc/disktab and the installer exited. I checked /etc and in fact there's no disktab file. I tried to create /etc/disktab but got a message that the filesystem is read-only.I guess that mount commands from .profile are not executed, because sh error. It might be worth to try run those commands manually before running sysinst: mount -t kernfs /kern /kern mount -t ffs -u /kern/rootdev / -Tuomo
-- David/absolute -- www.NetBSD.org: No hype required --