On Thu, Sep 16, 1999 at 09:24:49AM -0700, Henry B. Hotz wrote:
> On the 8500, and others using Open Firmware 1.0.5, you need the BootVars
> program if you are going to use the local keyboard and display.  The
> default is to use one of the serial ports at 38400 Baud.  On your machine
> you need to set the input to kbd and the output to /chaos/control and you
> have a chance for it to work.

This works a good 70% of the time on my 7500 (OF 1.0.5, if not
earlier). I never used BootVars, just took some shots in the dark on
the kbd and output settings (/chaos/control is the shortest way to
specify the video hardware and kbd works just fine). Some times output
doesn't actually get initialized on boot, but if the first boot
messages don't pop up, I just three-finger-salute it before it gets
around to checking the disks (to avoid actually having to fsck them on
the next time around). That's when I even have a monitor connected (I
usually don't).

In related questions, I'd like my machine to both come back up
automatically after a power outtage (we're feeling the effects of
Floyd here in Philadelphia, lost power last night and I had to hike up
here and push the button manually). Is this an Open Firmware value one
can set? (I know it's possible to have this happen, because the Mac OS
"Auto Power On/Off" control panel can set it, and I don't see how it
could do that except through OF.) If no one knows, I suppose I could
investigate it. (I still have Mac OS 8.6 on the other internal SCSI
drive in this system.)

Also, I've changed my boot device to scsi-int/sd@1:0 (the drive on
which I've installed NetBSD) and turned auto-boot? back to true... but
now whenever I boot from a cold start, OF is unable to start initially
(because it's trying to read from the drive before the drive has done
it's initial spin up routine, I believe). No huge deal, as I can
(again) three-finger-salute it after the drive's chugged up, and it
boots just fine the second time around, but I'd like some way to put a
pause into the OF boot sequence. Has anyone written a FORTH script to
do such, or do I need to set out on that slippery slope myself?

       ~ g r @ eclipsed.net