@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 #!/bin/sh -
-#	$NetBSD: MAKEDEV.tmpl,v 1.118 2008/11/28 16:04:31 joerg Exp $
+#	$NetBSD: MAKEDEV.tmpl,v 1.119 2009/01/03 08:49:03 apb Exp $
 #
 # Copyright (c) 2003,2007,2008 The NetBSD Foundation, Inc.
 # All rights reserved.
@@ -287,13 +287,20 @@
 
 
 #
-# Apart from a few lines right at the end, this file should consist
-# entirely of function definitions.
+# NOTE:
 #
-# This file is used both as a standalone script (via "sh ./MAKEDEV all"
-# or similar), and as a function library (via "MAKEDEV_AS_LIBRARY=1 .
-# MAKEDEV" from MAKEDEV.local).
+# * MAKEDEV is used both as a standalone script (via "sh ./MAKEDEV
+#   all" or similar), and as a function library for MAKEDEV.local (via
+#   "MAKEDEV_AS_LIBRARY=1 . MAKEDEV").  Because of this, the script
+#   should consist almost entirely of function definitions, apart from a
+#   few lines right at the end.
 #
+# * MAKEDEV may be executed in an environment that is missing some
+#   common commands.  For example, it may be executed from a minimal
+#   system used during installation, or it may be executed early in the
+#   boot sequence before most file systems have been mounted.  It may
+#   also be executed in a cross-build environment on a non-NetBSD host.
+#
 
 usage()
 {
@@ -476,14 +483,32 @@
 	# only allow read&write for owner by default
 	umask 077
 
-	# Check if we have fdesc mounted
+	# Set fdesc_mounted=true if the fdesc file system is mounted
+	# on the current directory (typically "/dev").
+	# Later, this will be used to suppress creation of device nodes
+	# that are supplied by the fdesc file system.
+	#
+	fdesc_mounted=false
 	if [ -d fd ]; then
-		case "$(df fd)" in
-		*fdesc*)	nofdesc=false;;
-		*)		nofdesc=true;;
+		# Parse the output from "mount -u -o nosuchoption .".
+		# We don't parse the output from df(1) because that's
+		# less likely to be available on install media.
+		#
+		# If the current directory is a mount point for the
+		# fdesc file system, then the expected output (whether
+		# or not the current user is root) is:
+		#	mount_fdesc: -o suchoption: option not supported.
+		#
+		# If the current directory is not a mount point, then
+		# the expected output is:
+		#	mount: .: unknown special file or file system.
+		#
+		# If we are not running on NetBSD, or mount(8) is not
+		# found, then we should get some other error message.
+		#
+		case "$({ LC_ALL=C mount -u -o nosuchoption . ; } 2>&1)" in
+		*mount_fdesc*)	fdesc_mounted=true ;;
 		esac
-	else
-		nofdesc=true
 	fi
 
 	# do_force requires mknod
@@ -782,7 +807,7 @@
 	mkdev		zero	c %mem_chr% 12	666
 	mkdev		klog	c %log_chr% 0	600
 	mkdev		ksyms	c %ksyms_chr% 0 444
-	if $nofdesc; then
+	if ! $fdesc_mounted; then
 		mkdev	tty	c %ctty_chr% 0		666
 		mkdev	stdin	c %filedesc_chr% 0	666
 		mkdev	stdout	c %filedesc_chr% 1	666
@@ -908,7 +933,7 @@
 	;;
 
 fd)
-	if $nofdesc; then
+	if ! $fdesc_mounted; then
 		makedir fd 755
 		n=0
 		while [ $n -lt 64 ]