excellento..ty. 
im going to try
(once mounted...)
copy of /tmp/THEISO -> /tmp/b4 (/dev/sdC0/9fat) possibly using:
tar -cf - / | ( cd /tmp/b4; tar -xf - )
#that used work on minix...
run the ns command of what ns returns (loads of binds etc...)
-- maybe some udder commands...
try and boot off the VM C drive (whilst turning off the iso boot)
disaster 1 rec: boot off iso and possible bind /tmp/b4 -> /
(or maybe selective dirs...)
disaster 2 scenario: boot off iso, keep created ram fs and bind into 
/tmp/b4. eg bind -[abc] /tmp/bin /bin
(after mounting C drive manually with
dossrv
mount /srv/dos /tmp/b4 /dev/sdC0/9fat

any advice greatefully accepted... /c /bd

On Fri, Jul 7, 2023 at 7:28 PM Steve Simon <steve@quintile.net> wrote:

9660srv - it mounts an iso as 9p file server in /srv/9660, so you need to do a mount(1) to actually see the contents.

-Steve


On 7 Jul 2023, at 7:20 pm, Conor Williams <conor.williams@gmail.com> wrote:


ok... thank you Steve, well in...

that particular train of thought leads me to another question...
has you r a'yone an iso.expander for plan9... (ps: i do have anudder way)
...()

ps: am still on the lookout for  a dd arg...
laterz... /c /d 773
000000000000000000000000000000000000
pps: overall: looking at a 10/15 minute vm plan9 static os creation...
         with 99.99% automation

On Fri, Jul 7, 2023 at 6:58 PM Conor Williams <conor.williams@gmail.com> wrote:
hello 9fannors...

i wish to find the device? which the p9 iso file is mounted from...
(a vm boot (i dont think that matters though...)
e.g c drive is /dev/sdC0

/c /ba 7723
ps: i wish to do a quick back of the (, possibly ramfs, ) temporary / file 
system kind of like a backup of the c drive
% dd /dev/XXYXX /dev/sdC0/9fat

pps: would anyone know what might happen if the /dev/XXYXX partition is 
smaller that the C drive... (the /dev/sdC0/9fat is formatted and large and 
ready to go) -- i do realise i can find this out if I know the device...