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## Installation  

 * Use <http://www.easyvmx.com/> web based tool to create vmx configuration files which can be used with VMware player (which is a freeware). If you have a VMware workstation or server you don't have to do this step.

<pre>
Note: I have tried it with K10 version of Debian GNU/Hurd on VMware running on a Debian GNU/Linux machine
</pre>

   * You can get more information about obtaining Debain GNU/Hurd CDROMS from <http://www.us.debian.org/ports/hurd/hurd-cd>
   * Insert the first cdrom and proceed with the installation as per the installation guide <http://www.us.debian.org/ports/hurd/hurd-install>

## VMware specific notes:

   * You will need a grub floppy image to boot GNU/Hurd. I have attached a copy of it with this document. You can also download it from here  <http://www.update.uu.se/~ams/home/slask/GNU/grub.img>

   * When you reboot the machine after the base tar ball is extracted (first reboot) press 'Esc' key while VMware start up and set removable devices as the fisrt boot device.

   * Select "GNU (Also known as GNU/Hurd)" ie, the first option and press 'e' to edit the grub menu  and go to second line and press 'e' again to change /boot/gnumach to /boot/gnumach.gz. 

   * add a link to /boot/gnumach from /boot/gnumach.gz so that you don't have to edit grub every time you boot.
<pre>
# ln -s /boot/gnumach.gz /boot/gnumach
</pre>

or mount the floppy image and change it

<pre>
# mkdir /media/floppy
# mount -o loop <path-to-grub.img> /media/floppy
</pre>
Edit /media/floppy/boot/grub/menu.lst with your favorite text editor and change /boot/gnumach to /boot/gnumach.gz 

      * _I find that this is all quite quick to try and that I can run through the ./native-install and reboot cycle twice OK.  However, at that point the installed Hurd boots up but fails to display a login prompt.  This is the case for both K10 and K14 using VMware Workstation 5.0.0 under Windows XP.  Maybe I'm doing something wrong but it is hard to see what.  I'd be interested to know more precisely what other people find does work._ -- IanMiller - 01 Apr 2007

## After install tweaks

   * Start using GNU, here is <http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/users-guide/using_gnuhurd.html>
   * You can add a shell script umount so that apt can automatically unmount cdroms

<pre>
#!/bin/sh
# Filename: /usr/bin/umount

settrans -fg "$@"
</pre>

Give executable permission to the script
<pre>
# chmod +x /usr/bin/umount
</pre>

   * in /etc/fstab add a trailing '/' after cdrom like /cdrom/ since apt uses a traing '/'

-- PraveenA - 12 Jun 2006