Gan Uesli Starling <oinkfreebiker@att.net> writes:

> ...because the file system is not clean. It asks
> for fsck, which I can't do from the boot.fs
> floppies because there is no /etc/fstab.

Huh? I've always been able to run fsck on an unmounted disk from the
standard install floppies.

> Sooooo.......
> 
> Is there some way let the machine boot, mark its
> file system clean and interrupt prior to entering
> /etc/rc.local? some key-press? secret mantra or
> lodge sign?

Hit the space bar while the boot loader is counting down (5,4,3,2,1,0),
then enter this command:

        boot wd0a:netbsd -s

This will bring you up in single user mode. The root filesystem will
be available, but not *really* mounted (it's read-only), so you'll
still be able to run fsck. After you've run fsck, go ahead and mount
it on / (and mount /usr too if you've got it in a separate
filesystem). Then cd to /etc and edit away at your files. When you're
done, just get back to a shell prompt and hit ctrl+D to bring the
system up to multi-user mode.