Subject: Re: root device?
To: Jim Arnott <jrasite@eoni.com>
From: Frederick Bruckman <fb@enteract.com>
List: port-mac68k
Date: 01/21/2001 13:26:57
On Sun, 21 Jan 2001, Jim Arnott wrote:

> Platform: Centris 650
> Configuration: 48mb ram, 230mb hd partitioned into 100mb Mac and 16mb
> usr. Remainder BSD boot

Let me guess: this is an IDE drive? Booting off of IDE has been
reported to work on current (1.5?), but it's still experimental.

BTW, is that a typo? Why would you make /usr so small? For drives that
small, it really doesn't make sense to have a separate /usr partition
at all.

> BSD: NetBSD 1.5 (I assume)

It should say at the top of the screen, after the NetBSD kernel
initializes the console. Also look for lines that start with "wd0".

> Installed fine, upon booting it stops at:
> boot device: <unknown>
> root device: Asks for 'ae0, ae1, sn0' None work.
> then asks for dump device:  same options, same result. Finally says
> 'cannot mount root' and the whole dialog starts over.

Not finding the root device, NetBSD is trying to boot of the network.
That can't work unless you have a BOOTP server set up. If this is an
IDE drive, and it's going to work at all, the right answer here is
"wd0a", type "ffs".

> Have set boot options to:
>
> Kernal location: NetBSD Root & Usr
> SCSI 0
> single user
>
> Why can't it find the boot device?

If "wd0a" works, you probably only need to change the entries in
/etc/fstab from sd0... to wd0.... The Booter and Installer are Mac OS
programs. The Booter loads the NetBSD kernel into memory; the point
where it fails for you is the first time NetBSD is called on to read
the IDE drive (if that is, indeed, the problem).


Frederick