Hi,

> >>Date: Tue, 20 Aug 1996 02:45:02 +0200
> >>From: Frederic Cirera <fred@warka.ai.univ-paris8.fr>
> >
> >>bash# swapon /dev/sd1b
> >>swapon: /dev/sd1b: device not configured

I think you must have a line in the kernel options file that either
says config netbsd swap on generic, or you must have a line saying 
config netbsd swap on sdb1 root on sd1a

  Guenther