net boot installation stops with "openpty() failed"

[Alexander Bartolich <alexander.bartolich%gmx.at@localhost>]

Hello,

I am trying to install NetBSD 5.0.1/sparc via network boot.

The client is a SPARCstation 10, that's architecture SUN4M.
Boot banner:

  SPARCstation 10 (1 X 390Z50), No Keyboard
  ROM Rev. 2.9, 96 MB memory installed, Serial #6342559.
  Ethernet address 8:0:20:18:9:3a, Host ID: 7260c79f.

Console is configured to serial port.
Network connection with a cross-over cable.
Relevant NVRAM settings:

tpe-link-test?        true                           true
output-device         ttya                           screen
input-device          ttya                           keyboard
ttya-rts-dtr-off      false                          false
ttya-ignore-cd        true                           true
ttya-mode             9600,8,n,1,-                   9600,8,n,1,-

The server is running Ubuntu 9.10/i386.
I downloaded sparccd-5.0.1.iso and verified SHA512.
Files were extracted from ISO on Linux with "mount --loop".

Stage 1 and 2
- "boot net-tpe"
- rarpd hands out an IP address
- the SPARCstation requests file "C0A80112.SUN4M"
- tftpd replies with file "sparc/installation/netboot/boot.net"
- the boot loader starts and makes a bootp request
- dhcp3-server hands out the same IP address as rarpd and

  option root-path "/srv/tftp/netbsd";

Directory "/srv/tftp/netbsd" contains the contents of two files:
- "sparc/binary/kernel/netbsd-GENERIC.gz"
  unpacked with gzip -d, symlinked to "netbsd"

- "sparc/installation/netboot/rootfs.tgz
  Extracted with GNU tar 1.22 to a XFS file system
  Tar spits out the following errors:

  tar: ./dev/dtyC00: Cannot mknod: Invalid argument
  tar: ./dev/dtyC01: Cannot mknod: Invalid argument
  tar: ./dev/dtya: Cannot mknod: Invalid argument
  tar: ./dev/dtyb: Cannot mknod: Invalid argument
  tar: ./dev/dtyc: Cannot mknod: Invalid argument
  tar: ./dev/dtyd: Cannot mknod: Invalid argument
  tar: ./dev/tap: Cannot mknod: Invalid argument
  tar: Exiting with failure status due to previous errors

Stage 3:
- nfs-kernel-server exports directory "/srv/tftp/netbsd" with "rw" permissions
- the boot loader mounts to file system, fetches the kernel, and boots it
- the kernel eventually starts the installation programm
- When it asks for the terminal type I just press enter:

  If you are using a SUN type 4 keyboard, please enter "sun-type4".
  Terminal type? [sun]

Then I choose
- (I)nstall
- Installation messages in English
- Install NetBSD to hard disk
- Yes
- "I found only one disk, sd0."
- Full installation
- Set sizes of NetBSD partitions

        MB         Cylinders   Sectors   Filesystem
   >   360  (1900)       486    738720 + /
       128               173    262960   swap
         0                 0         0   tmp (mfs)
         0                 0         0   /usr
         0                 0         0   /var
         0                 0         0   /home

- Accept partition sizes.  Free space 1539 MB, 5 free partitions.

    Start  MB   End  MB  Size  MB FS type    Newfs Mount Mount point
    --------- --------- --------- ---------- ----- ----- -----------
 a:         0      1899      1900 FFSv1      Yes   Yes   /
 b:      1900      2027       128 swap
 c:         0      2027      2028 Whole disk
 d:         0         0         0 unused

- Partition sizes ok
- Please enter a name for your NetBSD disk [mydisk]: netbsd5
- Yes

And then I immediately get this:

     Status: openpty() failed
    Command: disklabel -w -r -f /tmp/disktab sd0 'netbsd5'
     Hit enter to continue

And after I press enter I am back to the first menu.

Ciao

    Alexander.