I have performed the following steps and procedure:

1)Setup a machine running Linux 2.0 as a helper machine with
  rarpd, bootpd, bootparamd, and tftpd running.

2)Copied nfsnetbsd.ecoff, and netbsd.ecoff to /home/tftp on
  the helper machine.

3)Added the proper /etc/bootptab entries.  Setting nfsnetbsd.ecoff
  as the PROM boot file.  (I had also attempted to boot netbsd.ecoff
  but had received a a.out err (-5) error)

4)At the helper machine I had un-tared the NetBSD base, and etc
  builds.

5)At the DECStations console PROM prompt I entered in boot 3/tftp.

6)This kicks of and loads the NetBSD 1.2 (NFSROOT) #2, dated
  Wed Sep 18.

7)After the device autoconfiguration it performs a nfs_boot
  where it uses bootparamd to optain its remote root,swap,hostname
  configuration.

8)At this point as far as I can tell the system performs a init
  and locks up.

I had followed the diskless boot configuration and man diskless(8)
instructions as to the best of my knowledge.  Did I miss any vital
steps?  Is there a newer version of the nfsnetbsd.ecoff & netbsd.ecoff
kernels?  I do not need my machine to permanently run off the
nfs_boot.  I just need to be able to label my disk and place NetBSD
locally on the machine.  

Since this I had also found out that I need to run MAKEDEV in the 
/dev directory for my DECStation 5000 client.  The problem with this 
is that I am hosting this nfs_root from a Linux helper machine.  How 
do I create the needed /dev on the Linux box for the Decstation.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance.



------------------------------
Robert Rusek
Systems Network Analyst
Fairleigh Dickinson University
(201)443-8689 / rusek@fdu.edu  
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