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

[Andrius V <vezhlys%gmail.com@localhost>]

On Fri, Aug 30, 2024 at 11:54 AM Martin Husemann <martin%duskware.de@localhost> wrote:
>
> 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.

Thank you for insightful historical context! Yes, it seems not much
people would do that in this way now. I removed the code for now, but
as we discussed in IRC, if someone has passion to fix it, the code can
be restored. I tried few patches, unfortunately with no success...