Subject: Re: Using Etherboot ELF/FreeBSD loader to netboot ELF/NetBSD
To: Wojciech Puchar <wojtek@tensor.3miasto.net>
From: Bill Studenmund <wrstuden@netbsd.org>
List: tech-kern
Date: 02/28/2003 09:41:09
On Thu, 27 Feb 2003, Wojciech Puchar wrote:

> > looks there is no such section in kernel binary (there is in regular
> > userland binaries).
> >
> > now compiling test kernel with options REALBASEMEM/REALEXTMEM hardwired to
> > see if other things are different too.
> >
> works just doesn't have any bootinfo.
>
> i can
>
> a) fix NetBSD kernel to detect that it's etherboot params (it will
> know that it's etherboot when extmem==0) - stupid solution i think
> b) fix etherboot to be compilable to load NetBSD kernels, or FreeBSD but
> not both! (no way to autodetect)
>
> c) agree about adding some standard mark to NetBSD kernels so it can be
> detected if it's NetBSD or FreeBSD. then i can add support for etherboot.
>
> i will be happy with C - so NetBSD will be bootable with etherboot "out of
> the box"

Yes, c) is the best, and it will help all architectires.

Take care,

Bill