Re: port-alpha/60366 (port-alpha: SRM boot -n exploit to enforce wscons delay)

["Jeffrey S. Worley via gnats" <gnats-admin%NetBSD.org@localhost>]

The following reply was made to PR port-alpha/60366; it has been noted by GNATS.

From: "Jeffrey S. Worley" <technoid6502%gmail.com@localhost>
To: gnats-bugs%netbsd.org@localhost
Cc: 
Subject: Re: port-alpha/60366 (port-alpha: SRM boot -n exploit to enforce
 wscons delay)
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 2026 01:07:15 -0400

 Passing the N parameter via SRM:
 
 >> boot -flags "n" dqa0
 
 The system will boot and ask for the root device and so forth.
 Just take the defaults and exit.  This artificial delay allows the card
 to settle.  Hardware, like the ramdacs on the card don't operate
 instantaneously, need a decent interval.
 
 This 'split-boot' delay only works on versions 8-9.4. =20
 
 Version 10 and up is completely broken for a framebuffer.
 
 My system presently runs 10.1 and has a cheap vga card in for console
 video (text only).  This stays within kernel and so works fine.
 
 The moment one introduces a framebuffer though, the system will crash
 at boot.
 
 I no longer have an installed 9.4.  If there is a need to test latter
 versions on alpha, I can make mine available.