> As I mentioned, it seems to boot fine (with a complaint about rc.conf not 

Ok, sorry, I goofed as others have pointed out. Just forget all the advice
I gave you earlier since it was wrong. I must have been half asleep :-)

> I guess I should be asking then: is there any way to use the 8/24 card for
> the console and avoid the DRAM internal video?  Or is serial console my
> only option?  (I'm assuming the 8/24 card can be used for X either way,
> even though it isn't cleared upon booting NetBSD...)

If you are using the 8/24 as the console and the Monitors control panel
doesn't indicate a second monitor corresponding to your internal video
then that indicates that the system isn't using the internal video and
you don't have to worry about the DRAM problem.

Of course, I could be wrong again :-)