Re: NetBSD on Gateway SX2185?

[Paul Goyette <paul%whooppee.com@localhost>]

On Sun, 27 Jul 2014, Jean-Yves Migeon wrote:

> Le 27/07/2014 06:19, Paul Goyette a écrit :> On Sat, 26 Jul 2014, Jeff Rizzo 
> wrote:
> > > > I also tried to boot up an Ubuntu 14.04.1 distribution from DVD, and
> > > > it successfully loaded GRUB!
> > > >
> > > > Maybe there's a way to update the on-disk bootloader with GRUB
> > > > instead of the usual NetBSD bootloader?
> > >
> > > You can certainly boot NetBSD with GRUB in a pinch... though it would
> > > be nice to figure out what's going on.
> >
> > Well, first I need to get GRUB onto the NetBSD disk!
>
> Not necessarily: if the BIOS supports legacy mode, Grub can see USB plugged 
> disks/keys like normal HDDs. Passing down another root to Grub to boot from 
> it is rather easy:
>
> > set root=(hd1,1,a) # Depends on how your disk is detected by Grub
> > chainloader +1
> > boot

I'm not sure what you are suggesting here...  (I've never used grub, so 
have zero familiarity).  I don't have a USB hard-drive, so I tried this:

I booted grub from the Ubuntu disk and entered "C" for command mode.

I then entered the "set root=(hd0,0,a)" command (at this point, hd0 
still refers to the Windows hard drive).

I then entered the "chainloader +1" command, and it responds with

        error: disk `hd0,0,a' not found

I tried the "boot" command next, and it told me that I need to load a 
kernel first.


> It used to work with "older", non-UEFI machine. With todays RST, UEFI and 
> SecureBoot, it does not work as easily. But might be worth a try. This 
> assumes that you can have a CD/DVD boot disk + USB disk connected to the 
> station.
>
> BIOS configuration may also provide an option to boot "legacy" or "UEFI", 
> with UEFI being often enabled by default. Do you have access to BIOS/EFI 
> configuration menus?

BIOS configuration section "Boot Options" allows me to select the "Boot 
priority order" - here it lists

        1st Boot Device        Windows Boot Manager
        2nd Boot Device        UEFI: HL-DT-ST-DVDR...
        3rd Boot Device        Removeable device
        4th Boot Device        LAN

It then provides four sub-menus for selecting Hard Disk, Optical Disk, 
Removeable Device, and Network Device priorities.

Finally there are entries to Enable/Disable "Boot Menu (F12)", "D2D 
Recovery (F10)", "Fast Boot", and "Quiet Boot", and the usual "Halt on" 
selection (currently set to "Allbut Keyboard").

That's it.  Nothing about UEFI or Legacy.


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