Just a random thought - but would it be possible for machines
	without supported framebuffers to continue to use the prom for
	output?  I would guess it would be slow as hell, and even run
	into problems with interrupts being blocked for too long while
	the prom scrolls the console, but it would be something for those
	without supported hardware...

		David/absolute

                  -=-  and team B will be... Kenny.  -=-

On Fri, 30 Oct 1998, Jonathan Stone wrote:

> 
> hi,
> 
> The usual reason for this is that you're booting on a machine where
> the frame-buffer is not recognized as system console -- typically a
> PMAG-C,r PMAG-E, or PMAG-F.  The ioasic machines use the PROM for
> output until they find and configure the serial devices; they they
> switch from PROM console to using NetBSD drivers for console output.
> That means the console output is now going to one of teh RS-232 serial
> ports ;).