I'm trying to install NetBSD 1.4/sparc. I FTP'ed the gzipped miniroot.
On my SLC running SunOS 4.1.1, the gzipped file has a correct checksum and
ungzips correctly. In the course of my experiments, I dd'ed the uncompressed
miniroot to several different partitions on several different disks using
the specified "dd if=miniroot-1.4.fs of=/dev/... bs=20b conv=sync"
incantation. Attempting to boot from any of them ("boot sd(...)netbsd -s")
got as far as enumerating devices, then crashed immediately after finding
the floppy controller with "data fault: pc=... adr=... ser=80<INVAL>".
This machine has been functioning fine for years under SunOS 4.1.1.

   I moved the same disk over to a 4/200. It gets as far as probing the
SCSI bus and finding the disk before panicing with the same problem.

   It's really weird for two machines to panic with the same problem unless
the problem is in the miniroot. Everything appears to be OK as far as
having the gzipped file, since the checksum is OK. Is my gunzip hosed
somehow? If anybody can give the the BSD checksum for the uncompressed
miniroot, that would help. Should I be doing the dd differently?

   Thanks for any help!

   --James Birdsall