The program is proly

/usr.sbin/rpc.bootparamd

and you need an /etc/bootparams with eg

dunbar root=lammermuir:/usr/export/root/Xkernel/

assuming an /etc/hosts entry for dunbar and for lammermuir

al.

-- 
/* Allan.Kelly@ed.ac.uk. .   . .     . .           http://edina.ed.ac.uk
 * Software Engineer       *     . .     .    . .     Edina Data Library
 *                                *       . .     .    . .   
 * Perl nonsense:                          *       . .     .  ..
 * $data = ${@{${$$gb_oda_50_data{$sht_seq_no}}[$i]}}[$j];  *    * . .
 *  Really, I wrote that.            vi: set noet tw=80  sts=4 ts=8  :.. */

On Thu, 29 Apr 1999, TechSupp wrote:

>
> Heya folks!
>
>            Oh well, it's winter-time down here...and time for my annual
>pilgrimage to netbsd on my old Sun3/50 ;) Every year, it seems to
>present me with a new challenge, not least of which is grappling with my
>memory of *last* year's effort...but also the fact my linux box seems to
>evolve into something the 3/50~netbsd doesn't remember *either* over the
>same time...<grin>...
>
>
>  Anyhow, if I recall rightly, this is a new one on me....I'm attempting
>NFS installing, and the tftp'ing of the netboot program goes fine, but
>something's spooked the bootpd into this;
>
>  net_open: client addr: 192.168.1.12        <--this is right
>  netif_get: timeout; resetting
>  netif_get: timeout; resetting
>  netif_get: timeout; resetting
>  bootparamd: 'whoami' call failed
>  net_open: bootparam/whoami RPC failed
>  boot: netbsd: input/output error
>  boot:
>
>
>
>   Anyone? The nfs host machine is rh_linux-5.2,  the netbsd-rd kernel
>is in both the tftp_root and the nfs_root (being renamed appropriately,
>and in both places through attempts ;), the 3/50's credetials are in
>/etc/hosts, /etc/exports, /etc/bootparams(bootptab)...and I'm more or
>less sortta lost wondering what exactly the error message signifies I've
>forgotten (^B
>
>
>    Any clues muchly appreciated.
>
>
>           Cheers!
>
>                   Brett
>