Jack Twilley <jmt@twilley.org> writes:

> I finally got the IP upload slave to work on my Dreamcast.  Very
> snazzy.  It is a shame that DHCP isn't supported.  Is the source
> available?

Nope, but it wouldn't really be suitable for extending as it is now.
Even for a standalone product, I should rewrite it to use the "lwIP"
stack now included in libronin.  OTOH, as a bootloader for NetBSD, I
think it would make much more sense to use the proper NetBSD drivers
and libraries just like the loaders for other systems do.  I haven't
quite figured out how to do this though (can't find any good docs on
configuration of NetBSD standalone programs).  More on this later on
though.  Anyway, I will not be releasing the current source code for
the IP slave, it's simply to messy and most code should be replaced.


> I wouldn't mind either adding custom TFTP support or
> trying to add DHCP support to a limited extent, unless of course
> it has already been done, but I think I would have noticed that.

Since the code needed to handle TFTP and DHCP is already included in
the NetBSD source tree, the best course of action would, like I said
before, be to figure out how to use them to build a normal bootstrap
for NetBSD.  We could add feature like setting boot parameters (boot
from CD or network, etc) in a VMS file and so on.  I would certainly
welcome any help with making such a bootstrap, as I have pointed out
previously on this list.  :-)  If at least someone could locate some
documentation for how to actually use libsa to make a self contained
program (i.e. how to include the necessary device drivers etc.) that
would be a good start.  The main reason there isn't already a loader
like this in sys/arch/dreamcast/stand is that I'm clueless regarding
where to begin.  Just a minimal example setting up an ethernet and a
console device would do nicely, that should allow me to get started.


> Jack.
> (whee, bricktext.)

Yes, sorry for breaking it up when quoting it.  I hope I have atoned
for this transgression by making the reply brickformed.  There is no
need to constrain yourself to use of geometrical texts when replying
to this post by the way.  Some actual assistance in pulling off this
NetBSD/dreamcast bootloader project would receive more appreciation.


  // Marcus