Subject: Re: Two things: i386 boot code and boot man page
To: David Gilbert <dgilbert@pci.on.ca>
From: Greg Spiegelberg <gspiegel@owens.ridgecrest.ca.us>
List: current-users
Date: 09/13/1995 22:53:24
-->>>>> "James" == James Graham (Captech) <greywolf@aahz.VAS.viewlogic.com> writes:
--
--James> Greetings, it's your friendly nosy wolf again :-) (gotta curb
--James> that habit -- the toxic fumes from the resultant flames give
--James> one drain bamage).
--
--James> Note: This is i386-specific, though if other ports have managed
--James> a way around this conundrum, I'm open to suggestions.
--
--	On many other platforms, the boot command is stored in some
--form of eprom.  On my sun4 platform, the 'eeprom' command would set
--the boot command just fine.  I realize, however, that this doesn't
--help you.

I honestly don't know where you'd put it except for the MBR, a
predesignated sector on the boot device, or in swap (provided the boot
routine knows how to get at swap before loading the kernel.

The MBR could get tricky.  A predesignated sector might result in the
loss of use of the remaining portion of that sector.  Swap would probably
be ideal unless you're running savecore or some similar program.

My guess is that none of the above are really practical since I haven't
seen it done.  Not saying it hasn't been just that I haven't seen it yet.

-- 
Greg "TwoTone" Spiegelberg                           gspiegel@ridgecrest.ca.us

"What is the A20 gate? ... I think it's kind of like inheriting baldness
 from your parents.  You learn to live with it." - 32-Bit OS, Burgess