On Fri, Jun 20, 2003 at 11:20:51PM +0200, randy wrote:
> hi,
> 
> i am trying to install netbsd 1.6.1 on a 486 with only 8 MB RAM, 800
> MB HD, 3com 509 etherlink nic, but no cdrom. unfortunately i cannot
> use a keyboard anymore on this pc - i have tried 3 and none of them
> worked (even though they work fine on other machines).
> 
> so i decided to install via serial console with the floppies
> boot-com1.fs and boot-com2.fs (and the rest via ftp). now the thing
> is, 8 MB simply isn't enough for installing netbsd - it boots up fine
> and then runs out of swap when it's trying to make the devices.
> 
> the floppy boot-tiny.fs seems to work fine, but i can't use it because
> i can't use my keyboard.
> 
> so basically i'm wondering if there is a boot-tiny.fs floppy which
> works via the serial console like the boot-com floppies, or if someone
> would be so kind and make one for me.

I don't know if it'll work for floppies, but you can try the following trick:
Load the boot loader from boot-com1.fs, and when the NetBSD boot code counts
down, interrupt it. Then swap the floppy with boot-tiny.fs, and type
boot netbsd.gz

Which console to use it set by the boot code (you can even change it at the
boot prompt, with the consdev command.
The only problem I can see here would be the ustarfs format used for floppies:
maybe the boot block from one floppy can't load the kernel from a different
floppy.

-- 
Manuel Bouyer <bouyer@antioche.eu.org>
     NetBSD: 24 ans d'experience feront toujours la difference
--