Note: To give Debian GNU/Hurd a try, it is probably easier to simply run the
preinstalled image, see http://people.debian.org/~sthibault/hurd-i386/README

To test the installer images with kvm/qemu:

  * Download:

      $ wget http://people.debian.org/~sthibault/hurd-i386/installer/cdimage/cd-1.iso
      # apt-get install qemu-kvm

  * Create a hard disk image:

      $ kvm-img create hurd-install.qemu 3G

  * Start the installation:

    Since we haven't yet optimized the installer initrd mechanism for memory
    usage at all you will need at least 500MB of memory even for the text
    installer, or the installer will likely crash due to missing memory.

      $ kvm -m 512 -net nic,model=ne2k_pci -net user -no-kvm-irqchip \
             -hda hurd-install.qemu -cdrom cd-1.iso -boot d

  Note the -no-kvm-irqchip option, which is needed when running this on Linux
  kernels starting from 2.6.37, which do not emulate irq chips that correctly
  (see Debian bug #612105, fixed by 2.6.39)

  YES, do add -no-kvm-irqchip on 2.6.37 and 2.6.38 host kernels, else it'll stab
  you in the face.

On real hardware:

  * Note that GNU Mach only has the Linux 2.0 drivers for network device
  support, so yours might just not be supported. Support for embedding Linux 2.6
  drivers is on the way.

When going through the installation:

  * Reminder for qemu: with the user network stack default configuration,
    use the following values:

       IP address: 10.0.2.15
       Netmask: 255.255.0.0
       Gateway: 10.0.2.2
       Nameserver: 10.0.2.3

Remarks:

  * Separate /usr or /usr/local is not supported yet.

Configuring the installed system:

  * See http://www.debian.org/ports/hurd/hurd-install.html for more details and
    network / filesystems / X configuration.
  * Also make sure to check the FAQs
    http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/faq.html
    http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/hurd/faq.html
    http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/hurd/running/debian/faq.html
    and known open issues
    http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/open_issues.html


Have fun, see my roadmap page on the hurd wiki for more information:

    http://www.bddebian.com:8888/~hurd-web/user/jkoenig

(or its replica http://www.gnu.org/software/hurd/user/jkoenig if the URL above
doesn't work).

Email us to <debian-hurd@lists.debian.org> for debian-specific things or
<bug-hurd@gnu.org> for non-debian-specific things if you have questions or
comments, We are also available on #hurd on Freenet, #debian-hurd on OFTC.