On Wed, 16 Sep 1998 21:41:55 -0400 (EDT)  "Charles M. Hannum" wrote:

> What I'd like is for the list of `sets' (and their sizes,
> descriptions, etc.) to be in a file that's either on the boot image or
> accompanies the set files.  This would allow us to do a number of
> things very easily -- have multiple X server sets on the i386, add a
> local `athena' set at MIT, etc.

This is cool.  A "sets.lst" file or somesuch with the set name (assume
the set lives in a .tgz file, hmm - have to handle split sets),
whether the set is to be loaded by default or not, an md5 and one line
description is one way to handle it.  I'll think about this one some
more.

> I'd also like to see some support for a sort of `express network
> setup', in the same vain.  E.g., at MIT, I'd configure it like this:
> 
> subnet	  router     broadcast	    name servers
> 18.249/16 18.249.0.1 18.249.255.255 18.70.0.160,18.71.0.151
> 18.70/16  18.70.0.1  18.70.0.0      18.70.0.160,18.71.0.151
> ...
> 
> (Yes, 18.70 really does use all-0s for the broadcast address.  Don't
> ask.)
> 
> Then the user should just type in the IP address, and the rest of the
> network configuration would default to TRT if there was a matching
> entry.

Wouldn't dhcp/bootp be a good first step for this?  All the info you've
listed above and more is handled by these protocols.

Simon.