> /usr/mdec/installboot /usr/mdec/ufsboot /usr/mdec/bootxx /dev/rsd0a

> many times, and I get the error: partition must be an FFS partition.

I would guess that /usr/mdec/ufsboot is not on an FFS parittion, then,
or possibly that it is, but isn't on sd0a, and the inumber of
/usr/mdec/ufsboot is impossible or not in use on sd0a (I don't know
whether this latter will produce the same message or not).

This is not correct invocation anyway unless /usr/mdec/ufsboot resides
on /dev/rsd0a.  You need to copy ufsboot into the partition in question
(normally into the root of that partition; I don't know whether this is
required) and then run installboot.

For example, if the target partition is sd0a, and it's mounted on /mnt,

# cp /usr/mdec/ufsboot /mnt
# sync
# /usr/mdec/installboot /mnt/ufsboot /usr/mdec/bootxx /dev/rsd0a

(The sync is _probably_ just paranoia, but can't hurt anything.)

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