--
	Paul Evans  PE34
	technos@apk.net _ paule@martex.com

On Sat, 31 May 1997, Allison J Parent wrote:

> > Anyway the feature I'm always missing on non-sun3 machines is the ability
> > to do some fairly rudimentry hardware checks. I know DEC's pmax machines
> > have almost decent boot strapper that does this, but what about the VAXen
> 
> An obvious lack on knowledge of Vaxen.  Most vax do test out the sytem to do

that _is_ what I said, isn't it? (I see the "?" is missing from my 
original message, but it was a question..)
 
> things like assure there is a minimum of 64k of good memory, boot device 
> presence, console communications exist and so on.  Thats that count doen you 
> see every power up!

never seen one boot.

> 
> > And, wouldn't be nice for all NetBSD machines to have an identical
> > "phase 1" boot loader with diagnostics?
> 
> Yes that would be nice but, at that level your very hardware dependent.

That's kinda the point. I'm saying a similar (in syntax & sematics) to the
user first stage boot loader would be nice.

For example if you had a VAX and 386, you'd load the image via MOP on the
VAX & floppy on the 386 -- and after that the NetBoot config is identical.

It would almost make possible a universal diagnose/install procedure..

> 
> Allison
> 
> 

	-Paul