Subject: Re: 1.5 serial boot floppies?
To: Al Snell <alaric@alaric-snell.com>
From: Kazushi (Jam) Marukawa <jam@pobox.com>
List: port-i386
Date: 12/07/2000 09:31:10
   On Dec 7, 15:39, Arto Huusko wrote:
   > Subject: 1.5 serial boot floppies?
   > 
   > Has anyone created boot floppies where console is on the serial port?

I made it by changing BOOTCODE?= option in 
/usr/src/distrib/i386/floppies/bootfloppy-common/Makefile.inc
from ${MDEC}/biosboot.sym to ${MDEC}/biosboot_com0.sym.

However, what I needed is I think writing MBR with serial
option to a floppy disk like the case of hard disk.  So,
maybe following modification makes your regular boot floppy
disk as a serial boot floppy disk.  Write a regular boot
image to a disk first, then type following command.

  $ installboot -b 17 -f /usr/mdec/biosboot_com0.sym /dev/rfd0a

However, both ways need up-to-date NetBSD to make a floppy
disk.

   On Dec 7, 14:48, Al Snell wrote:
   > Subject: Re: 1.5 serial boot floppies?
   > On Thu, 7 Dec 2000, Arto Huusko wrote:
   > 
   > > Has anyone created boot floppies where console is on the serial port?
   > 
   > Does anyone think the standard boot floppies should have the
   > "auto" console mode by default? Would this make them too large?
   > 
   > It'd certainly make my life easier (I run many headless machines)

I also prefer it, but I think "auto" detection is difficult.
By the way, giving two floppy images for VGA console and
serial console in www.netbsd.org cures me a lot.

-- Kazushi
Every absurdity has a champion who will defend it.