der Mouse <mouse@Rodents.Montreal.QC.CA> said:
> > Wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have dependencies on the kernel
> > name.  For example, what about a file in kernfs calles /kern/kernel
> > that was always magically identical to the actual running kernel?
> 
> This - or something like it - has been discussed before.  The biggest
> problem with it is that what most programs want from /netbsd is the
> symbol table, and that isn't always loaded into core.  (Indeed, unless
> you have ddb on, I think it usually isn't.)

Yes, this is a problem if the kernel was booted from something that is no
longer accessible.  However, if the kernel was booted from a file in the
root filesystem, then /kern/kernel could perhaps refer to that file
by some magic.

BTW, FreeBSD has /kern/bootfile, which contains the name of the booted
kernel (usually "/kernel" on FreeBSD systems).  But if you booted from a
floppy that is not mounted, then /kern/bootfile contains something that is
not useful.  Also if you rename /kernel to /kernel.old, the text in
/kern/bootfile still refers to /kernel. 

--apb (Alan Barrett)