Right!  I've found a friend who can provide a BOOTP/TFTP server (a
FreeBSD box), and we can now get the MAXINE to load the
nfsnetbsd.ecoff kernel.  The kernel messages look pretty much like
those that appear in the "Installing NetBSD on a PMAX" document,
except things start to go wrong:

... 
rz0 at asc0 drive 0 slave 0 DEC RZ24...

[...That much looks reasonable, then...]

nfs_boot: using network interface 'le0'
panic: revarp failed, error=51
syncing disks... done
...

Is there an obvious next step that we've missed?  We suspect that
despite succeeding with the bootpd and tftpd, it seems that the
FreeBSD box can't easily run a rarpd, without configuring a /dev/bpf0,
which we have not yet done.

--

--Kevin.
kevinc@vast.unsw.edu.au

BTW Thanks for the tip about shorting the jumper to bypass the
restricted boot shell.

PS Please send any responses to the port-pmax list.  I'm not going to
be at this address for the next three weeks, and my friend will be
able to see the response as it flies by on the list.