Good evening!

Some time ago, someone mentioned that pkgsrc should be mentioned in our
install docs. With this in mind, I had a look at the files in
/usr/src/distrib/notes (INSTALL, */install, mostly) and noticed that the
various ports' install documents end at different points, making it
difficult to add some machine independent "post install"  instructions.
(See [1] below for a description of the current state of the
src/distrib/notes/*/install files.) 

To add machine independent post-install instructions, we first need to
agree on where the machine/system dependent installation stops, and where
the machine independent steps start. 

-> How about mentioning a simple "reboot" as final step of the MD
   steps, and then continue in the (MI) post-install steps with the
   single user shell that'll pop up, editing at least rc.conf
   etc. (see [2] for some ideas).

   I'd say this point is appropriate as earlier (while still in some
   miniroot/bootfloppy/whatever environment), we don't know for sure
   where files are (i.e. where the / of the new system is), what
   editors can be run (if any), ...

If this makes sense, I can probably find the time to update the
src/distrib/notes/*/install files and also give a first stab at an MI
post-install document.

Comments?


 - Hubert



[1] Current state of src/distrib/notes/*/install:
alpha:	last paragraph (5. Configuring NetBSD) is MI
amig:	tries to give some hints after describing how to boot single
	user.
arm32:	last two paragraphcs are really MI
atari:	ends after describing installation of kernel and bootstrap, no
	word about booting single/multiuser, rc.conf, ...
hp300:	hum... no instructions given _AT ALL_ in here, just describes
	what the miniroot install program can do. At least some
	description on how to get the miniroot going should be added,
	plus a description of the state the system is in after running
	that install program (``You're done now and can type "reboot"
	to drop your system into single user mode, from where it can
	be configured for full operation.'')
i386:	After reboot, you can't login as root as the system is not
	configured for multiuser mode - this is single user screaming
	for rc.conf's rc_configured being set to YES.
	Config file tweaking like /etc/sendmail.cf should be moved to
	a MI section as well as the recomendation of some books.
	No idea on where the X configuration fits in.
mac68k:	Contains nice description on what's do be done on first
	boot-up (singlue-user, editing rc.conf, going on from there).
mvme68k: Tell people to do a reboot after all's done, tell them that
	they will be dropped into a singlue user shell, and where to
	go from there (configure rc.conf, ...)
pc532:	Hum, how much of step "k" is really necessary to bootstrap the
	system? Only the steps needed to reboot into the
	rc.conf-not-configured-singleuser-mode should be listed here.
	Probably drop steps "l" and "m".
pmax:	This mentions editing rc.conf to set rc_configured=YES
	manually, before instruction the user to reboot.
	Also contains some post-install-notes that should be moved to
	some MI section.
sparc:	Doesn't mention frobbing rc.conf at all, last paragraph should
	be moved to MI section.
sun3:	Tell people to do a reboot after all's done, tell them that
	they will be dropped into a singlue user shell, and where to
	go from there (configure rc.conf, ...)
sun3x:	see sun3 (and mvme68k, and hp300)
vax:	Describes rebooting as a final step. Tell people that once
	they do the reboot, they'll be dropped into the single user
	shell and need to edit /etc/rc.conf etc.
x68k:	Same as arm32, i386, sparc, x68k. 


[2] Some topics for the MI post-install instructions:

 - What "/etc/rc.conf is not configured. Multiuser boot aborted" means
 - Logging into that singleuser shell etc. (take from mac68k/install)
 - Guide the user through editing /etc/rc.conf to at least set
   rc_configured=YES (BOY could we need some prog like sysinst to do
   this [3])
 - Mention how to mount / r/w plus other filesystems (/usr!)
 - Mention editing some more rather important files: /etc/rc.conf,
   /etc/mygate (the whole network config stuff), ld.so.conf (esp. if X
   and/or pkgs are being installed), maybe fstab, ...
 - Tell about root password (initially empty, how/why to set)
 - Tell people about packages (wooohoooo! :-): how to install binaries
   if available, where to get pkgsrc if not, ...
 - How to add user accounts
 - Note some books
 - Final reboot (or just type exit ...) with the system coming up
   fully configured in multi user mode. 

Unfortunately, there's also some MD post install notes (currently in
src/distrib/notes/*/install):

i386:	configuring X
pmax:	note X11R5 X server (refers to /usr/X11R6/bin/README.pmax)

I've got currently no idea on where to accomodate that. Ideas?


[3] Don't stuff this into sysinst. It'll only bload sysinst with stuff
    that's not needsd in the first place (i.e. during bootstrapping
    the system); This postinst program could care for many of the
    points listed above with some menu system etc. 

--
Hubert Feyrer <hubert.feyrer@rz.uni-regensburg.de>