Subject: Re: questions about converting sparc to MI installboot(8)
To: None <lukem@wasabisystems.com>
From: Izumi Tsutsui <tsutsui@ceres.dti.ne.jp>
List: port-sparc
Date: 05/07/2002 02:10:57
In article <20020507001746.D2437@wasabisystems.com>
lukem@wasabisystems.com wrote:

> 	+ Would it be OK for me to cut over the sparc port from the
> 	  MD /usr/mdec/installboot and ELF /usr/mdec/bootxx to the
> 	  MI /usr/sbin/installboot and binary /usr/mdec/bootxx ?
> 
> 	  This would mean that an old /usr/mdec/installboot would
> 	  not be able to install a new "binary" /usr/mdec/bootxx,
> 	  and /usr/sbin/installboot would not be able to install
> 	  an old ELF /usr/mdec/bootxx vice versa.

I have the same idea for bootxx of news68k and newsmips.
(i.e. change bootxx from ELF to raw binary)
I think ELF format was needed only for nlist(3) to patch
data in bootxx, and it is no longer required.
Anyway, "older" installboot which uses nlist(3) cannot
handle "old" bootxx which uses struct bbinfo.
---
Izumi Tsutsui
tsutsui@ceres.dti.ne.jp