In message <20030130025815.GV747@mewburn.net>, you write: 

-> Of course; you're correct for the platforms with a 2 stage boot.
-> (first stage boot block loads second stage /boot which parses
-> arguments from the BIOS/PROM or whatever which loads /netbsd).
-> This is a lot of NetBSD platforms, including alpha & pmax (not sure
-> about sgimips), so it won't be a problem there.
-> 
-> As an aside, are there any platforms which load the kernel directly
-> from the file system from the first stage boot block?  (IMHO, the two
-> stage method is much better)

sgimips does, but since its first-stage booter goes in the volume header,
it can be as big as we want it ("standard" volhdr is ~ 2MB, I'm not sure
if it's scaled up for bigger disks but I'd assume "no"); in fact, I know
of someone out there who was working on adding all sorts of features to
the sgimips bootloader to make it look more like the x86 bootblocks 8-)

--rafal

----
Rafal Boni                                                     rafal@attbi.com
  We are all worms.  But I do believe I am a glowworm.  -- Winston Churchill