Boot partition sizes (Was: installing NetBSD on a Sparcstation 2.)

[Julian Coleman <jdc%coris.org.uk@localhost>]

Hi,

>       Even with last PROM on SS20, I've never seen a bootable system with 
>       a kernel above 2GB.

Hmm, I added the following to the sparc/boot(8) manual page a while back:

     On sun4 machines, the NetBSD sparc boot loader can only boot from RAID
     partitions that start at the beginning of the disk.

     On sun4 and early PROM version sun4c machines, the PROM can only boot
     from the first 1Gb of the disk.

     On later PROM version sun4c and early PROM version sun4m machines, the
     PROM can only boot from the first 2Gb of the disk.

     On later PROM version sun4m machines, the PROM can only boot from the
     first 4Gb of the disk.

Maybe I was wrong about the last paragraph.  However, I did do some testing
before I added it.  The PROM versions that I had for testing on the sun4m's
were 2.25 (SS20), 2.25R (SS20) and 2.14 (600MP).

Thanks,

J

PS.  For sparc64:

     The OBP on Ultra 1 and Ultra 2 machines can only boot from the first 4Gb
     of the disk.

-- 
  My other computer also runs NetBSD    /        Sailing at Newbiggin
        http://www.netbsd.org/        /   http://www.newbigginsailingclub.org/