Subject: Re: SPARCstation 2 boot options
To: Andy Ball <port-sparc@netbsd.org>
From: Don Yuniskis <auryn@GCI-Net.com>
List: port-sparc
Date: 01/31/2002 10:01:43
> Hello!
> 
> I'm /this/ close <pinches fingers together like kids-in-the-
> hall head-squashing guy> to picking up a SPARCstation 2 with
> the specific hope of running NetBSD/sparc on it.  I have
> NetBSD/i386 running on some PCs, so might be able to netboot
> it.  I'm interested in knowing what other boot options are
> open to me. The NetBSD/sparc FAQ mentions boot floppies. Can
> a SPARCstation 2 (2.4.1 firmware) be coaxed into booting
> from its diskette drive?  What about a CD-ROM drive?  Tape?

Yes to netboot and diskette -- though the drive may need to be cleaned
to get it to work (ask for details).  Yes to the CD -- though to *boot*
from the CD I think it needs to support 512 byte sectors (?).
Haven't tried my tape drive yet (seemed to have problems doing
tape i/o under 1.5.2 and haven't yet traced that to drive vs. OS problems)

You'll have no problems getting an SS2 up ("he said, gleefully...")
--don