### Quick install notes for the impatient 


This section contains some brief notes describing what you need to install NetBSD 5.1.2 on a machine of the i386 architecture. 

*   Fetch files needed to install NetBSD. 
   
    Option 1: bootable CD-ROM images containing the full distribution.  

    These can be found on an FTP site near you, usually located in the `/pub/NetBSD/iso/` directory. Check the NetBSD website for details.  

    Option 2: bootable CD-ROM images from `i386/installation/cdrom/`.  

    These images are bootable, but do not contain binary sets. They are intended for network installs or system repair. `boot.iso` is for VGA console installation, and `boot-com.iso` is for installation over serial console (com0, 9600 baud).  

    Option 3: boot floppy images from `i386/installation/floppy/`. 
    `boot1.fs` and `boot2.fs` are floppy images for VGA console installation.  
    
    `boot-com1.fs` and `boot-com2.fs` are for installation via serial console (com0, 9600 baud). 

*   The default kernel on CD-ROMs has ACPI enabled. This is known to cause issues on a few machines which have buggy ACPI implementations.

    To boot with ACPI disabled, choose the "no ACPI" option from the boot menu, or interrupt the menu and enter the NetBSD boot prompt. Type **boot-2** to boot with ACPI disabled. 

        
*   The actual binary distribution is in the `i386/binary/sets/` directory. When you boot the install CD-ROM or floppies, the installation program can fetch these files for you (using e.g. ftp) if you have a network connection. There are several other methods to get the binary sets onto your machine. 
 
    
    You will at a minimum need one of the kernel sets, typically `kern-GENERIC.tgz`, as well as `base.tgz` and `etc.tgz`. In a typical workstation installation you will probably want all the installation sets. 
          

*   Write the CD-ROM images or floppy images out.
    
    Many commercial and freeware programs are available to burn CD-ROMs. 

   
    If you have problems writing a raw image to a floppy, the **rawrite.exe** MS-DOS program or the **Rawrite32** Windows32 program (installed by `rawr32.exe`) in the `i386/installation/misc/` directory may be of help.

    The disk(s) you just prepared will be used to boot the installation kernel, which contains all the tools required to install NetBSD. 
             

*   For third-party programs which are not part of the base NetBSD distribution, you will want to explore the **pkgsrc** system with its many thousands of third party software applications.