"John A. Maier" wrote:

> I am using NetBSD 1.4.2 for i386 and Alpha.
> 
> I am trying to build a multiboot for i386, Alpha and pmax.
> 
> Since I do not have a pmax system installed, yet, will the alpha   
> installboot work in place?
> 
> also, installboot alpha (as of 1.4.2) does not support -i  or -s.  Since   
>  -i isn't supported, the pmax seems out of the question as part of a   
> multiboot.

The pmax and alpha usually want to share some sectors near the start of
the disk.  With the -i and -a options (instead of -s as you said?), the
pmax first stage bootstrap can be installed elsewhere.  Typically, you
would make an iso image that can boot on i386, then install the pmax
bootstrap with a pmax installboot and finally the alpha one with an
alpha installboot.  Note that the alpha installboot must be done after
the pmax - the alpha does a checksum on the first sector and will fail
to boot otherwise.

As long as you have boot_cd9660 and boot.pmax from the lastest pmax
snapshot, you can still build something that will load a 1.4.2 kernel -
in fact the first ISO images to boot on a pmax used the 1.4.1 install
kernel.  Also, it should be possible to make a version of the pmax
installboot that will run on other architectures (but this hasn't been
done to my knowledge) - all it does is write some values to various
parts of the iso image.

Simon.