In message <Pine.ULT.4.05.9908311616380.3074-100000@lightning.msu.montana.edu>"
Michael L. Hitch" writes
>On Tue, 31 Aug 1999, NetBSD Bob wrote:
>
>> Also, in my dumpster diving last week (actually moo U surplus sales), I
>> picked up 4 DS5000/25 crates, and  managed to combine the bits to make
>> one good one, and the rest for spares.  I still need to find a monitor
>> for it in this weeks surplus sale.  Anyway, like the 3100  with the floppy,
>> will the 5000/25 boot from floppy for installation?  IFF so, will it use
>> the same floppy as the 3100?  Any insights, suggestions, pointers thereto
>> are appreciated.
>
>  I don't think the DS500/25 supports booting from the floppy.  The manual
>doesn't indicate the floppy can be used, and I was not able to find any
>way to specify the floppy driver as the boot device.

The Persoanl DECstation PROMs do not support booting from floppy.
(Not from docs, but firsthand from someone who wrte the code).
The floppy was intended for SneakerNet data exchange; the expectation
was that you'do installs from CD or  net.

(another FAQ, , Mr. FAQ keeper?)

OTOH, the RX33 or whatever-ti-is in Bob's 3100 would do fine, if
someone cut a floppy image.  As far as NetBD or the PROM care, it's
just a tiny SCSI disk.

Simon: does a compressed install (ramdisk) kernel fit into 1.44 meg?
(we coudl do ustar, but there're so few scsi floppies it hardly seems
worth it.)