Subject: Re: X-windows trouble
To: Joop Carels <zombie@il.fontys.nl>
From: Simon Burge <simonb@telstra.com.au>
List: port-pmax
Date: 03/30/1998 17:20:35
On Mon, 30 Mar 1998 09:04:34 +0200  Joop Carels wrote:

> > > I started the installation attempt with 1.2, which worked fine (netbooted
> > > using a Linux machine as BOOTP/NFS server), until the point where I wanted
> > > to disklabel the internal harddisk. Somehow my devs weren't populated
> > > correctly and no rz* devices were generated. Hence, no disklabel.
> > >
> > > After downloading the 1.3Alpha and setting up on the Linux machine I got
> > > some trouble netbooting. Somehow with the 1.3 it didn't get a correct
> > > bootparamd reply (getfh() errors about being unable to find a path to root).
> > >
> > > This is where things get creepy. I populated a devs with the 1.3 MAKEDEV and
> > > netbooted the 1.2 kernel. I was then able to disklabel the internal harddisk
> > > and untar the distribution files.
> > >
> > > After this the machine could boot 1.3 from internal harddrive. I actually
> > > haven't used sysinst (yet); we configured the machine practically by hand.
> 
> > Hrmmm... I ran into trouble with the install here too.  I'm using linux
> > as the netboot server, my exports, and bootparams are correct, but I get
> > the error:
> > 
> > nfs_boot: getfh - no pathname
> > cannot mount root, error = 5
> > 
> > after it loads the kernel.  I've tried using both the nfsnetbsd.ecoff
> > and netbsd.ecoff kernels.  I have a very standard decstation 5000/200.
> > I was wondering if you has any more generalized answers to this
> > question; the solution you came up with to workaround it seems quite
> > roundabout :)
> 
> Yes, I know. Sadly, it seems to be the only way. Some time ago the PMAX
> flipped and refused to boot, so we decided to do a complete re-install
> and do it 'right' this time. This seemed a good idea, since 1.3 is no
> longer in alpha stage.
> 
> However we encountered the same problems as we did with 1.3a when we
> booted 1.3.1. In the end we ended up scrounging up the old 1.2 bootset
> and netbooting (again) from 1.2. Once we had the disk labeled and the
> 1.3.1 set installed it worked fine.
> 
> It might be worth our (and other people's) trouble to ask what has 
> changed in the netbooting software between 1.2 and 1.3?
> 
> This, as to prevent people digging through wads of source when the 
> answer might be readily available.
> 
> So, as to make it official:
> 
> Dear contributers, maintainers and generally anyone who might know,
> what could cause NetBSD 1.3 to _NOT_ netboot properly from a Linux
> machine?

Just a hunch (without checking too closely) - try using bootp, _not_
bootparams.  Something like:

	basil:\
		:ha=08.00.2b.24.39.71:\
		:sm=255.255.255.0:gw=172.73.42.1:\
		:tc=.172_73_42_0:bf=netbsd/basil:rp=/dlboot0/basil.root:

(where /tftpboot/netbsd/basil is the netbsd.ecoff kernel, and
/dlboot0/basil.root is the untar'd diskimage.tar.gz) works for me...

The "INSTALL" file for 1.3 and 1.3.1 mentions setting up bootp/dhcp, but
not bootparams.

Simon.