Re: port-i386/58624: dosboot(8) fails to load kernel through eXtended Memory Specification API (XMS)

[Martin Husemann <martin%duskware.de@localhost>]

Maybe a bit of historical context: back in the days the "easiest" way to
test NetBSD on a machine that usually booted into Windows 95 was: download
the install kernel, reboot and while rebooting press some function key
to abort boot and drop into the DOS command line.

Then you could run dosboot and let it loaded the NetBSD kernel.

Most Win9x installations had some EMMS/XMS manager installed
and properly talking to those was important to get the kernel loaded.

Nowadays (with bootable USB sticks) this scenario is (as) obsolete (as Win9x),
you would simply boot the full image from USB and not touch anything already
installed on the machine. 

Martin
P.S.: I had to look it up but USB really happened only 1996, and firmware that
could boot from it even (slightly) later.