> > I am stuck at the > prompt.  Help says to boot something.  It sounds like
> > it needs a kernel somewhere?  Boot what exactly?  Where is the kernel
> > located exactly (in the boot.fs?)?
>
> I have also been there!  I had to do something else:
> 
> If you have a floppy, and use miniroot to boot, it is easy to get started.
> When I did so, sysinst auto started and it  will let you ftp another
> (whatever) computer with all the tar files on it.  NetBSD - Ready - set -
> go!

OK, then what is the difference between the bootfs and the earlier minirootfs
of (from memory) 1.3.x?

Unfortunately, no floppy exists easily on the MicroVAX 3100, although,
I might be able to remove one drive from the top bay and sub a VS3100
drive there.

If it will boot that off floppy, there is no reason why it would not do
similarly off tape.

If it is the 1.4 distribution, I did use the miniroot to boot from tape,
and got to the vaxboot > prompt and no further.

I got a couple of good suggestions I will try tonight and see how it
goes.

> The other option is to netboot.  This is also fun!  But if you dont have
> another box with NetBSD, FreeBSD, Linux... then you need some extra time to
> do it ++.  Have you heard about the "chicken and the egg" problem? ;-)

I have Ultrix up on it already, and will probably try that first via
a dd of the miniroot or the bootfs.

Noone seems to have commented on the possibility of just unrolling
the file systems from Ultrix onto an Ultrix partitioned drive.
Will that kind of approach work?  I would expect it would if the system
gets past the lack of disklabel for NetBSD.

> have fun!

I am!  VAXen are fun!...... a tad strange, though, with no docs..

Bob