Subject: Netboot for install
To: None <port-alpha@netbsd.org>
From: Adam Maloney <adam@whee.org>
List: port-alpha
Date: 07/18/2001 21:29:50
Hi,

I'm trying to install NetBSD on an Avanti system.  I've been having problems
getting it to boot from floppy and over the network.  This is an AlphaStation 200 4/233.

I've had one of those other operating systems on this same hardware before,
so I'm pretty sure the hardware is still working.

I dd'd disk1of2 and disk2of2 to two floppies.  Booted the Alpha with disk1of2
in the drive, and issued: "boot dva0" from the SRM prompt.  (I'm using a serial
console BTW).  It prints some stuff:

...
setting affinity to the primary CPU
jumping to bootstrap code

and the floppy drive light is on.  I've let it sit for 10 minutes or more
and it does nothing further.

Then I tried booting over the network.  I have bootpd running on a FreeBSD
system.  The instructions for actually installing with netboot are kind of
difficult to understand.  The docs for netbooting for day-to-day operations
are very complete, but I'm confused about what files need to be TFTP'd/NFS'd
for just an install.

In my bootptab, I need to specify a bootfile (bf=).  What file is this supposed
to be?  I've tried 'netboot' from 
ftp.netbsd.org/.../installation/netboot/netboot and I've tried the netbsd.gz 
from .../installation/instkernel/netbsd.gz

So my question is, what file do I need to specify in bootptab as the "bootfile"
and then, what file do I need to have available via NFS, if any?  Do either
of these need to be called something specific?  I just want to install netbsd
I don't actually want to use this as a diskless workstation.

Thanks,
Adam