I've tried using the snapshot H=E5vard put up, but seem to have a problem
with the 1.3F(?) sysinst. I was hoping to re-install NetBSD after my feeble
attempt with FreeBSD saw it installed on both the 0xA5 ones (the second had
been NetBSD).

Anyway it gets to the point of reporting geometry

real geom: 782cyl, 128heads, 63cyl              !
BIOS geom: 782cyl, 128heads, 63cyl

[now when I changed the FreeBSD partition to be of type 0, ie unused, the
real geometry is then correctly reported as 6256/16/63, but I'm still in
the same situation described below: I can't proceed with 1.3F but 1.3.2 is
fine]

NB the trailing exclamation mark

If I try "continue with install", nothing happens (screen flashes)
  no explanation what's wrong
re-entering the geometry only changes the BIOS geometry which doesn't help.
I tried C/H/S of 1024/16/63

Installing from the 1.3.2 boot floppy does allow me to continue at this
point. It gets to the point it reports finding a disklabel with the 'real'
geometry of 6256/16/63 for my Quantum Fireball ST3.2A drive, but the
installation finishes smoothly.


any ideas why 1.3F is getting stuck with geometry?
Danny Thomas




Some other suggestions for sysinst at this time

when you try re-entering geometry, it doesn't say *which* geometry you're
modifying. Presumably its the BIOS one, with the real geometry being that
reported by the drive and sysinst doesn't believe it can change reality
that much... So should that prompt be change "You will be prompted for the
BIOS geometry" ?

when re-entering geometry it would be nice if the existing values for C/H/S
were the defaults. At present hitting a return is equivalent to entering 0
which will require re-entering geometry again

when selecting "reenter geometry", that '!' is not erased from screen
(curses glitch?)

When the 1.3.2 installer gets to the point of listing the MBR partitions,
it highlights the (first) one of type 0xA5. The menu says "Choose your
partition", fine. But the choices talk about "Edit partition n". You select
"Exit" to actually make the choice ?!

when you get to the point when it displays the MBR partition table, it
gives a warning that getting the values wrong can result in "data
corruption". Perhaps that could be phrased "damage to any or all of the
partitions on this disk, not just the one you try installing NetBSD on".

When you're in a position where you can't continue, what is the best way to
restart the machine? It might be my hardware, but hitting the reset switch
didn't always work the first time. And one time it did, the BIOS prompytly
reported "primary disk fail". I didn't really think so, but it was
reassuring that a power-cycle got it into a more-receptive mood...