On Sat, 5 Feb 2000, Henry Nelson wrote:

> > >I've always been used to having a chance to configure devices by pressing
> > >the [space] bar, but I don't seem to get a prompt to do that with NetBSD
> > >1.4.1.  I'd like to be able to reconfigure the irq for my nic card.
> > 
> > I'm not sure what you're referring to; was this something you did with NetBSD,
> 
> I'm very new to the "regular" i386 port.  Perhaps only the NEC PC98 port
> (see, e.g., http://www.nisoc.or.jp/~karl/netbsd-pc98/) has this feature?
> If it isn't in the mainstream NetBSD, it sure should be.  It's great.
> 
> Anyway, is there some way to configure devices, especially irq and i/o port,
> during first-time boot up?

	Not easily - break into DDB and try many arcane commands.

	We're currently looking at trying to get some of the good work
	n reworking the autoconfiguration machinery done by a different
	group of Japanese developers into NetBSD, which would make this
	easier.

> Very weird.  NetBSD/pc98 has this feature; just make /etc/bootstrap.db.
> Maybe I'm on the wrong list.  Are the "real" NetBSD developers aware of
> what all is available in the PC98 port of NetBSD?  I notice that the
> core team of NetBSD/pc98 isn't even listed on the credits page at
> netbsd.org.  I've got NetBSD/pc98 running on four NEC98s of various
> capabilities, and it's just been cool-running.
>
	I'm trying to see if there are any barries to getting NetBSD and
	NetBSD/c98 working closer together... Watch this space, but don't
	expect anything soon...

		David/absolute