soekris net5501 boot problem

[Jean-Yves Moulin <jym%baaz.fr@localhost>]

Hello,

I have a soekris net5501. This is a board with serial console only (setup at 
9600 8N1).

The board can boot perfectly with pxeboot_ia32. I'm connected to serial port.  
I can load an install kernel with nfs, and then perform all install task. 
Everything is OK: all devices recognized, disk is OK, network is OK, dmesg show:

com0 at isa0 port 0x3f8-0x3ff irq 4: ns16550a, working fifo
com0: console

and disk:
wd0(viaide0:0:0): using PIO mode 4, Ultra-DMA mode 5 (Ultra/100) (using DMA)


But when booting from hardisk, I'm unable to load kernel. The boot seems to 
block after mbr boot. I can already boot with pxe and install kernel. Then 
mount all partitions through utility shell. So, I've tried everything:

- with or without a serial cable connected.
- with different mbr: mbr, mbr_com0 and mbr_com0_9600 (I used 'fdisk -c 
/usr/mdec/mbr_com0 -B wd0').
With a mbr_com0, I got the choice screen (a:disk) on serial console, but 
nothing after this point.
- with default bootxx_ffsv1 (bios console).
- with bootxx_ffsv1 on console (with command: 'installboot -v -o 
console=com0,speed=9600 -m i386 /dev/rwd0a /usr/mdec/bootxx_ffsv1').

I've tried NetBSD 5.0.2 and 5.1_RC2. I've also tried to modify bios options.


But I don't understand why the boot-loader cannot load the kernel.

Do you have some idea ? I don't want to re-install a linux  :-)  (the board was 
using linux before).

Thank you very much.

best,
jym