On 10/12/05, Dustin Smous <dsmous@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> I'm thinking I wasn't specific enough.  at this point,
> 1.6 boots fine (and is somewhat useable), 2 and 3 hang
> after the kernel is loaded, I believe when it is
> trying to mount the root partition using nfs.

Yes, that helps a bit.  1.6 doesn't boot on my TurboColor (well, it
boots, but the display is scrambled), so I can't help compare results.
 2.0 and -current both work if I disconnect all SCSI devices (panic
otherwise, see my March post on that).

>  I've
> used Ethereal to monitor what is going on, and I see
> the initial BOOTP request from the NeXT firmware, as
> well as all of the tftp and NFS packets.  What I don't
> see is the dhcp request from the kernel before it
> attempts to mopunt the NFS root...

Using tcpdump I definitely see a second BOOTP request after the kernel
has loaded.  The traffic I see is (1) bootp request [NeXT ROM] (2)
tftp (3) NFS packets [bootloader] (4) [pause while kernel initializes
devices] (5) bootp request when kernel attempts to mount root (6) a
lot more NFS packets.

So you're saying 1.6 is able to mount root but 2.0 is not?  Rather
strange, since 2.0 works-for-me.  Double check that your fstab is
correct (probably not the issue here), and that you have next-server
and root-path set correctly in dhcpd.conf on your dhcp server.  It
seems that you do if the bootloader is able to load the kernel, which
makes this all the more baffling.

If your dhcpd, tftpd, and NFS server are all on the same machine, you
might try connecting it to your NeXT with a crossover cable, to rule
out any network issues.

In any case, the /dev tree isn't accessed at all before / is mounted,
so that's definitely not your problem (yet).

Darrin has a pretty good memory:
---
  nfs_boot: trying DHCP/BOOTP
  nfs_boot: DHCP next-server: 10.1.2.3
 nfs_boot: my_name=3Dfoo
 nfs_boot: my_addr=3D10.1.2.4
 nfs_boot: my_mask=3D255.255.255.0
 root on 10.1.2.3:/export/root
---
My output is very similar, except I also have my_domain and my_gateway
lines.  The last several lines printed by the kernel before these are:
boot device: xe0
root on xe0
mountroot: trying ffs...
mountroot: trying nfs...

  Note that the bootloader prints similar messages; see if they are
sane values for your configuration.
> Any ideas?
Try 2.1RC5? the latest daily build?  Some of the pre-2.0 snapshots?=20
Use a *BSD machine for your tftp/nfs server?  Sacrifice a rubber
chicken?

-Andrew