So I've managed to get ahold of a DS5000/25 which no one feels like
putting a newer version of Ultrix on, and I decide to give netbsd the
old college try.  Here's what I've done so far:
1.  Read everything I could get my hands on (pmax install guide,
readmes, disklabel manpages).

2.  Installed a Quantum ProDrive LPS 240S as SCSI device 1 (/dev/rz1).

3.  Disklabeled this drive as follows:
----
# /dev/rz1c:
type: SCSI
disk: LPS240S
label: netbsd
flags:
bytes/sector: 512
sectors/track: 1
tracks/cylinder: 1
sectors/cylinder: 1
cylinders: 479349
rpm: 4306
interleave: 1
trackskew: 0
cylinderskew: 0
headswitch: 0           # milliseconds
track-to-track seek: 0  # milliseconds
drivedata: 0

3 partitions:
#        size   offset    fstype   [fsize bsize   cpg]
  a:   283696        0    4.2BSD     1024  8192    16   # (Cyl. 0 - 283695)
  b:   195653   283696      swap                        # (Cyl. 283696
- 479348)
  c:   479349        0    unused     1024  8192         # (Cyl. 0 - 479348)
----

4.  dd'd miniroot (which I pulled of ftp.cslab.vt.edu) twice, with two
different versions (miniroot and miniroot.1995.05.31).  used:
dd if=miniroot of=/dev/rz1c seek=16

So, all this in place, I try to boot.  The following ensues:
>> boot 3/rz1/netbsd
open (3/rz1/netbsd) failed: -1
Can't boot '3/rz1/netbsd'

I hosed the disklabel, just to make sure this isn't the problem, and
I get a different error.  Also, the disklabel does seem to be fine --
the disklabel I have above was produced by the disklabel command with 
no args other than the device.

So, I think, maybe it doesn't like the Quantum -- maybe it wants a
good old Digital rz?? so I do the same deal with an old rz23 I pulled
out of a vaxstation.  Still no dice; same errors.

Any insights into this are much appreciated.  I think I've covered
everything, but a few more tidbits about the system:
it has 16meg total RAM, an rz25 which still has Ultrix (so I'm using
this machine as a "helper machine"), and so far as I know and can see,
no daughterboards or turbochannel or other addons have been installed.

Thanks for any information.

-- 
Nathan Parrish
Computer Consultant
Computing Center of Virginia Tech