Subject: Re: Booting from IDE on Multia
To: Guan Yang <guanix@softhome.net>
From: Miles Nordin <carton@Ivy.NET>
List: port-alpha
Date: 02/15/2000 13:07:52
On Tue, 15 Feb 2000, Guan Yang wrote:

> But the NetBSD FAQs suggest that this is not possible; perhaps only
> Linux can boot from IDE on Multia?

ergh.  thanks for saying ``weird.''  I'm only gradually losing sensitivity
to comments of this form.  Anyway the deal is this all depends on your
console code.  Linux can use AlphaBIOS or srm, while NetBSD requires srm.
The reasons why are stated here:

 http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/alpha/faq.html#milo

This requirement is very unlikely to change in the future.

You can try downloading and upgrading to the latest srm (URL's are
available in the Alpha FAQ) and see if that supports IDE booting.  I know
IDE boot support was added to the srm for some of the 21164 systems in
later revisions.  If this works for you, let us know and point us to the
part of the FAQ you read so we can document what you did.

If not, maybe you could get netbooting to work?

-- 
Miles Nordin / v:+1 720 841-8308 fax:+1 530 579-8680
555 Bryant Street PMB 182 / Palo Alto, CA 94301-1700 / US