In message <20041214083951.2d936b8a@server.office>, Michael Smith writes:
>On Tue, 14 Dec 2004 08:08:22 +0000
>David Laight <david@l8s.co.uk> wrote:
>
>> You should be able to boot the system by interrupting the install boot
>> and typing 'boot wd0a:'
>
>When I do this I get:
>
>booting wd0a:netbsd
>open wd0a:: Device not configured
>boot: wd0a:netbsd: Device not configured
>
>, alternatively exit sysinst, mount the
>> filesystem and chroot into it.
>
>Yes. I found this yesterday (I sent the original message on saturday. There mu
>st be moderation on this list).
>
>Running 
>
>installboot -v -o timeout=5 /dev/rwd0a /usr/mdec/bootxx_ffsv2
>
>....made no difference...
>(I have currently installed with FFSv2, though I have the same problem with FF
>Sv1)
>
>...but running:
>
>installboot -v -o timeout=5 /dev/rwd0d /usr/mdec/bootxx_ffsv2
>
>...did. Quoting from the update I sent a little while ago:
>
>...and now the primary bootstrap seems to load. However it can't see /boot:
>
>NetBSD/i386 ffsv2 Primary Bootstrap
>Boot failed (errno  2): Can't open /boot
>
>I can mount the filesystem on /dev/rwd0a by booting from the install CD and ru
>nning a shell, and have verified that /boot and /netbsd both exist.
>
>So I think I am half way there. But I don't know what is wrong with /boot
>

This sounds similar to a problem I had with -current a few weeks ago -- 
google for 'unbootable new disk' starting 23 November.  The problem in 
my case was apparently that my BIOS and NetBSD disagreed about mapping 
sectors on such a large (160G, over the 137G limit) drive.

Is the CPU old?  There have been lots of IDE size limits...  In any 
event, what I did was to change the BIOS's access mechanism; it all 
works now.

		--Steve Bellovin, http://www.research.att.com/~smb