But when I make a new bootloader, that outputs to a non-existing
terminal, am I still able to get to the bootmenu?

-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Wareham [mailto:chris.wareham@iosystems.co.uk]
Sent: Freitag, 12. Juli 2002 11:55
To: bsd-help (E-mail) (E-mail)
Subject: Re: Startup Messages


Martin Weber wrote:
>=20
> So what ? I guess his point is that he doesn't want to see those
> message during starting, can always type 'dmesg' when it runs when
> we ask for one. So if he *ever* has any problems, he'll boot, type
> dmesg, pipe that into some file, and send it to us, where's the
> problem ?
>=20

And if he can't boot to a stage where he can login? Then he's
mucho fscked and looking at a reinstall, hoping that cures the
problem.

A possible alternative is an optional 'pretty' boot loader, with
the standard boot messages going to another virtual terminal. I've
seen this done in at least one Linux distro, but I don't know
whether it's possible under NetBSD. Aren't virtual terminals a
feature of wscons, which isn't initialised until quite late in the
boot sequence? The pretty bootloader would need to be text only
though - a graphical bootloader would be utterly pointless on a Vax
with a VT terminal for instance.

The only reason I think this would be worth pursuing is because
I've experienced the reaction of ordinary users when faced with
a Unix kernel booting:

User: What's wrong with my computer?
Me:   Nothing, all those messages are normal.
User: (pouting) But Windows doesn't do it. I don't like it.
Me:   (gritting teeth) I can't do anything about it, sorry.

My motto is "the user is always wrong", but if it shuts up this
kind of stuff I'm all for it ...

Chris

--=20
chris.wareham@iosystems.co.uk (work)
cwareham@btinternet.com (home)