> I have a ton of 5100s running Ultrix. Ideally, I'd like to mount a
> spare disk on the Ultrix box, untar a netbsd binary distribution,
> maybe install a new boot block on the new disk, and then reboot off
> the new disk.

Hm.   I don't think we have any 5100 support yet.

In any case, you've described a desirable scenario, but what's wrong
with doing it the way the '386 bootstrap is done now, and indeed the
way that Ultrix installs are done?   That is to say, boot a kernel
over the network which contains a miniroot that's enough to build a
4.4bsd filesystem and install a kernel there, and then boot that
filesystem and install the rest of NetBSD?

Retrofitting Ultrix filesystem support is indeed probably an SMOP, but
it would only be applicable on DECstations.   Grafting old filesystem
support into the main tree in order to support DECstations is bound to
be unpopular with the core maintainers.   Also, since it won't get
used much, it'll probably be flakey, which isn't desirable for an
initial system install.

For this reason, the alternate choice of bootstrapping and installing
over the net seems more desirable and supportable, particularly since
I think it's about the same level of hassle for the installer.

> Clearly, being able to bring up a dead pmax with no OS is and still should
> be the ultimate goal.  But for someone with an already running system,
> being able to shorten the cycle could only be viewed as a good thing.

You'll get no argument on this from me.  Probably the best short-term
alternative where net-booting isn't possible is to just do the install
as you've described using existing tools, and fix fsck so that it
successfully converts Ultrix filesystems to 4.4BSD filesystems.  I
thought I saw a patch go by recently that does this.  When the system
comes up after the initial install, it converts the root with fsck,
and then you're native.

			       _MelloN_


--
Ted Lemon		      Wells Fargo Bank, Information Protection Division
mellon@ipd.wellsfargo.com					+1 415 477 5045