> 
> If you all may recall, a short while ago I was having some
> difficulty with using FWB to format NetBSD partitions.  It has
> been frequently suggested that I simply do the formatting,
> then use Mkfs to change the partition types to the proper
> NetBSD types.
> 
> Still, since Apple HD SC Setup can do it, I thought, shouldn't
> FWB HDT -- for which I paid $60.00 -- also be able to do it?

Good question. Especially as I'm looking at upgrading a bundled version
of HDT to a "full" version. This difficulty does not encourage me.

> I called FWB, spoke with several Tech Support people, none of
> whom knew quite what I was talking about... they kept trying to
> give me answers having nothing to do with the problem at hand; they
> didn't understand the difference between partition type and partition
> entry flags, etc.  The problem was, apparently, much too technical
> for them.
> 
> After many long-winded explanations of what I was after,
> they eventually asked that I send them a bit of code to help
> understand what I meant, and they would give it to an engineer
> to look at.  I sent them a piece of the Installer code, the
> part that looks at the partition map and decides if the
> partitions are the correct type.  I also included the header
> file used to read in the partition map. Pretty simple, straightforward
> stuff, really.  Any engineer who's written drivers should
> be able to understand it.
> 
> Well, now, about a month after I did this, I received a call from
> one of the Tech Support people, saying that the engineer would like
> a copy of ALL of NetBSD, preferably in easily-installable format,
> on a CD, because what I sent them was just too confusing, and
> the problem too "piecemeal."

Obviously the engineer doesn't understand. The kernel source takes
up many meg, and only a little bit of it deals with the partition
table.

A better thing to send would probably be the source of Mkfs, as it has
the ability to do the same thing, and it's a whole MacOS app. Or more
easily, a URL (like
ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/NetBSD-1.3_BETA/mac68k/installation/misc/src/Mkfs_1.45src.sea.hqx ).

Take care,

Bill