> From: "Michael G. Schabert" <mikeride@prez.org>
> Subject: Re: Multias still obstinate ...
>
> >I'm using this on a D/Unix system:
>
> This is taken directly from the port-alpha FAQ:
>
> If you try to set up a Digital UNIX 3.x (formerly DEC OSF/1) system as an
> NFS server containing NetBSD diskless root partitions, you'll run into a
> problem: Digital UNIX 3.x does not properly handle NetBSD device nodes.
> Apparently, to ease the transition from 16-bit to 32-bit device nodes,
> Digital added run-time conversion code to convert from the old device node
> format to the new format. Unfortunately, this causes the device nodes as
> seen by a diskless NetBSD to be garbage. The only solutions to this are
> binary or source modifications to the Digital UNIX kernel, so, for most
> users, the easiest solution is to simply not use a Digital UNIX system as
> the server for NetBSD diskless clients. Rumor has it that Digital Unix 4.x
> does not suffer from this problem.


I have to say, I've never seen this. I'm sure Chris and the other CMU
folks understood this in detail -- I understand that they did patch the
OSF/1 source to deal with this ...

but...

I think there is a subtle issue there .. the problem only occurs if you
run mknod(8) on OSF/1 ^W DU ^W Tru64, or something like that.  I've been
told that if you use gtar under DU to unpack the sets, or, if you (like
me) run our tar or pax from NetBSD over an NFS-mounted drive, then the
nodes you get back will work just fine. I used NFS roots exported from DUh
servers all the time last year at Avalon. In fact, I never actually was
able to see this problem...it would be interesting to see a failure test
case.

	Ross.Harvey@Computer.Org