Non-boot install of YDL 3.0 from running 2.3?

[Dr. Robert M. Fuhrer]

[Trying once more, since I got no response to my earlier messages.]

Is there a way to do a clean install of 3.0 on fresh partitions
from within a running 2.3 *without booting into the installer*?

I mounted the install ramdisk.image and poked around a bit,
trying things roughly like:

  $ mount -t ext2 -o ro,loop ramdisk.image /mnt/ramdisk0
  $ (chroot /mnt/ramdisk0; /sbin/init)

and variations, to no avail.

Asked another way, isn't the 3.0 installer compatible with a
2.4.18 or other stock kernel?

I've tried several variations on booting into the installer, and
all of them give me either a kernel oops or an X server crash
(if I use the graphical installer), or refuse to recognize the CD.

Presumably the installer is a (slightly unusual) Linux app, so
in theory I should be able to just run it if I have a compatible
kernel and the environment set up right...

Cheers,
  -- Bob