install/39736: installboot sometimes ignores stage2 file

[apb%cequrux.com@localhost]

>Number:         39736
>Category:       install
>Synopsis:       installboot sometimes ignores stage2 file
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       non-critical
>Priority:       medium
>Responsible:    install-manager
>State:          open
>Class:          change-request
>Submitter-Id:   net
>Arrival-Date:   Sun Oct 12 16:15:01 +0000 2008
>Originator:     Alan Barrett
>Release:        NetBSD 4.99.72
>Organization:
Not mush
>Environment:
System: NetBSD 4.99.72
Architecture: i386
Machine: i386
>Description:
    Under some circumstances, installboot ignroes and fails to sanity
    check the "secondary" or "stage2" argument.

>How-To-Repeat:
    installboot -m i386 -t ffs /dev/rwd0a /usr/mdec/bootx_ffs1 /no/such/file

    Observe that there are no error messages, even though
    "/no/such/file" does not exist.

>Fix:
    Apparently, the fact that the second stage boot loader is
    "/boot" is hard coded in the i386 first stage boot loader.
    installboot should be made aware of this fact, should verify
    that the file system contains a /boot file, and should complain
    if there is no /boot, or if the command line attempts to specify
    a second stage boot loader other than /boot.

    I assume that some machines other than i386 have similar issues.