> This is kinda hint what's wrong - what should I set "console" to?

"someone" (and that someone can be me, if someone will proxy the cvs checkin)
should work on the INSTALL document... some of these are "passed to irix";
does the netbsd bootloader know how to get these from prom? cos it'd be
neat to support these, and neater still if the install miniroot "did the
right thing" with {netaddr, diskless, SystemPartition}.

i doubt sgi will grant permission to import the prom(1M) manpage wholesale...

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     console           Sets the system console.  If console is set to g or G,
                       the console is assumed to be the graphics display.  On
                       some systems with multiple graphics adapters, setting
                       console to g0 (identical to g), g1, or g2 can be used
                       to select alternate graphics displays.  If console is
                       set to d, the console is assumed to be a terminal
                       connected to the first serial port.  In addition, some
                       systems also accept d2 for a terminal connected to
                       second serial port.  Lastly, this can be overridden on
                       some systems by removing the password jumper, which
                       forces the console to g, which is useful for for
                       recovering from setting console to d when a terminal is
                       not available.  This variable is stored in nonvolatile
                       RAM.

     ConsoleIn/ConsoleOut
                       Are set at system startup automatically from the
                       console variable.

     dbaud             Specifies the diagnostic baud rate.  It can be used to
                       specify a baud rate other than the default when a
                       terminal connected to serial port #1 is to be used as
                       the console.

     diskless          Specifies that the system is diskless and must be
                       booted over the network.  The diskless system
                       environment parameters should be set as follows:

                            diskless=1
                            SystemPartition=bootp()host:/path
                            OSLoader=kernelname

     netaddr           Used when booting or installing software from a remote
                       system by Ethernet.  This variable should be set to
                       contain the Internet address of the system.  It is
                       stored in nonvolatile RAM.

     ProbeAllScsi      Specifics that all devices on the SCSI bus are
                       automatically examined for disks.

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     initstate      Is passed to the IRIX system, where it overrides the
                    initdefault line in the /etc/inittab file.  Permitted
                    values are s and the numbers 0-6.  See the init(1M) man
                    page.

     root              Specifies filesystem information that is passed on to
                       the IRIX system.

     swap           Specifies in IRIX notation the swap partition to use.  If
                    not set, it defaults to the partition configured into the
                    operating system, which is normally partition 1 on the
                    drive specified by the root environment variable.