On Fri, Aug 31, 2007 at 02:30:00PM +0000, Arne H. Juul wrote:
> [...]
> System: NetBSD inngang 4.99.30 NetBSD 4.99.30 (GENERIC.MP) #6: Fri Aug 31 01:22:50 CEST 2007 root@inngang:/usr/obj/sys/arch/i386/compile/GENERIC.MP i386
> Architecture: i386
> Machine: i386
> >Description:
>  	My machine takes a looong time (> 5 minutes) to boot currently,
>  	and I think I've found the reason:
> 
>  	I've got a standard new desktop machine with memory card
>  	readers in front.  These appear as SCSI disks attached via
>  	USB, and since I don't have memory cards in them they show
>  	up as "offline".  But still, it takes a very long time
>  	during boot - probably in findroot for the kernel to figure
>  	out that these aren't the root disk it's looking for.  It
>  	should notice the "offline" and continue at once, I guess...
> 
>  	The workaround is simply to disconnect the cable that goes
>  	to the card-readers and front USB connector.
> >How-To-Repeat:
> 
>  	Actually, any offline SCSI disks might produce the same symptoms, I guess:

No, booting with offline drive (be they atapi, SCSI or USB) isn't a problem.
I think your reader is behaving in an unusual way.

-- 
Manuel Bouyer <bouyer@antioche.eu.org>
     NetBSD: 26 ans d'experience feront toujours la difference
--