> > [some way to modify device config]  It can be interactive,(UserConfig
> > in FreeBSD), or just a file in /etc (like BSDI does in
> > /etc/boot.default).  I like the latter approach much.
> 
> A file in /etc does not address the needs of someone with one machine
> and a boot floppy, because without already making the boot floppy boot,
> the user can't modify the file in /etc!

in bsdi, /etc/boot.default is read by /boot and "executed".  there are
commands like "-sleep 5" which cause

	press any key to interrupt boot: 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1..

to appear.  if you have a generic boot floppy that's not going to boot
on the machine you have, then you can press a key at this stage and type
the commands needed to configure the RPB in a way that will get you up.
then you go in and edit /etc/boot.default on the hard disk after install
to make it contain whatever it was that got you up.

there are other good ways to do it, but i wanted to explain how a file
in /etc does in fact do the right thing.