>Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 22:26:29 +0100
>From: Leo Weppelman <leo@wau.mis.ah.nl>
>
>The glue code for other fs-types is tricky related to a 3rd stage boot:
>    - You need ffs to read /boot (or at least an fs supported by stage 2)
>    - the 2nd level boot is stored in the bootblock space of an ffs filesytem

Yes, an ffs filesystem would be needed, but even in a minimal case a
floppy would be sufficient to hold an ffs filesystem with all three
boot stages.

>I like your attempts on the keystroke and printf improvements. On my todo
>list was also:
>   - booting compressed kernels (another point supported by x86).
>     I can no longer put the 'standard' BOOT & BOOTX kernels on 720KB
>     boot floppies for the 1.4 release...

Definitely worthwhile...I had thought of this earlier but forgot to
list it in my rationale posted here.

>   - Check if we can get away with install filesystems > 1MB, so we can try
>     to get sysinst running.

This looks trivial...I would expect that increasing the sizes in
md_root.c would do it.  All the code for reading a filesystem split
over several floppies is already there.  What am I missing?

>So if you are bored ;-)

Wishful thinking...as usual there's a million things I'd like to get
done, and little time to do any of it.  But since you seem to agree
that some of these ideas are worthwhile, I'll gladly spend what time I
can poking at it.

>Happy New Year!

To you too!

Cheers,
entropy

--
entropy -- it's not just a good idea, it's the second law.