Re: 7024-E30 Netboot

[Chris Hanson <cmhanson%eschatologist.net@localhost>]

Would it be worth porting one of the second-stage bootstraps for these systems to reduce the need to figure out how to get a kernel image under 2MB?

  -- Chris

> On Dec 23, 2023, at 10:53 AM, T <bobs%thelibertytree.org@localhost> wrote:
> 
> On Tue, 19 Dec 2023 05:04:00 -0000 (UTC), T wrote:
> 
>> On Thu, 14 Dec 2023 20:33:29 -0500, Aaron B. wrote:
>> 
>>> Trying again with the E30 I have: Replaced the network adapter with an
>>> 8-Z having an FRU number per the previous thread; SMS sees it and
>>> attempts to boot from it.
>>> 
>>> Through packet capture, I can see (a) it acquiring an address via
>>> BOOTP,
>>> (b) it contacting the TFTP server, and (c) it correctly downloading the
>>> file via TFTP.
>>> 
>>> However it's just stuck on 'Starting software please wait' with no
>>> further activity after that.
>>> 
>>> I've tried the GENERIC kernel in the install directory; the kernel from
>>> the prep sets, uncompressed; and /usr/mdec/boot from the prep base set.
>>> All cause the same behavior.
>>> 
>>> What's the correct file to use? A kernel, or is there a 2nd stage
>>> bootstrap to send instead?
>> 
>> I'm not sure about the E30, but I have to use the file sysinst_small.fs
>> to get netboot working on my 7248-132 43p. If I try using the GENERIC
>> kernel,
>> it doesn't work. There seems to be a 2MiB size limit on what loads, if
>> it's larger than that, it doesn't boot.
> 
> To add onto this, the 2MiB or less kernel is just needed to bootstrap the 
> bootloader, it can be stripped down, bare bones since it only needs to be 
> able to interact with boot devices. The TFTP should be sending what is a 
> boot disk image to the PReP machine, as found here:
> https://cdn.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/NetBSD-9.3/prep/installation/floppy/
> 
> I don't remember if 9.3 sysinst_small.fs works, if it doesn't, you could 
> probably use one from a previous version release (like 8.2) that generates 
> a smaller kernel size. I compile a stripped down kernel specifically for 
> use with the bootloader.
> 
> Once the boot image is loaded, it can then boot a normal GENERIC kernel 
> and as far as I have seen, there isn't a size limitation affecting the 
> second stage kernel.
>