Udo Erdelhoff wrote:


> > > installboot refuses to do anything, it just displays this message:
> > > installboot: NetBSD 1.2 199306: OS revision not supported
> > I just uploaded a corrected installboot(1) program to ftp.netbsd.org.
> I've downloaded the file, copied it over to my TT and booted the BOOT
> kernel I've already copied to my GEMDOS partition C. I had some kind
> of success: installboot accesses the disk and displays a different
> error message:
> NetBSD bootblock not on primary AHDI partition

[ disklabel output ]

> I've checked the root sector with the display function of my virus
> killer (don't laugh, I'm still searching for a decent sector editor
> that works in TT high with AHDI. The old SED crashes, the new SED
> depends on CBHD and it's SCSI device driver). The structure HDX
> inflicted on the disc looks like this:

I think the aptck program provided in utils.tos (on ftp.netbsd.org),
might have been easier in this case ;-)

> 
> 		type	size	status		
> First entry:	BGM	65536	bootable	(GEMDOS C:)
> Second entry:	XGM	327682	valid
> Third entry:	NBD	262144	valid		(/var)
> Fourth entry:	NBD	402394	valid		(/usr)	
> I guess (I can't check it) that the XGM sector contains D:, E:,
> / and swap in exactly that order. I think this is the reason
> why installboot bails out. Or is it the fact that the first
> partition (GEMDOS C:) has type BGM?

I think the problem is indeed that your root partition is located in an XGM
partition. I looked it up in the 'Profibuch' yesterday evening and it
states that only primary partitions can be made bootable. This should
definitely go into the installer-docs and the installboot man-page (Just
put it on my todo-list).

> 
> If the root file system has to be in the first root sector, would
> NetBSD and installboot accept this structure:
> First entry:	BGM, ~64 MByte, GEMDOS C:
> Second entry:	BGM, ~64 MByte, GEMDOS D:
> Third entry:	NBD, ~32 MByte, /
> Fourth entry:	XGM, remaining disc
> 
> With the following extended partitions:
> First entry:	NBS, ~40 MByte, swap (20 MByte physical memory * 2)
> Second entry:	NBD, ~128 MByte, /var
> Third entry:	NBD, remaining disc, /usr
> 
> Please don't tell me "I dunno, try it and you will see". 

I'm more than 99% sure ;-)

> 
> On the other hand, it doesn't matter if I have to backup the whole
> stuff again, because:
> 
> I rebooted my system and booted from the kernel floppy, giving sd0
> as root device. Yet another error message: segmentation violation,
> core dumped.
> 
> The next thing I tried was a complete re-install. Something spooky
> was going on, the installer kept crashing. I switched the system off,
> waited 2 minutes, switched it on again. This time, the installer
> crashed while creating the device nodes. To be precise, the system
> entered an endless crash loop (read: crash on debugger startup).
> Time to get some sleep...
> 
> I'm reasonably sure that this is not a problem with the kernel or
> miniroot floppies, they are write protected. The installation
> sets on the GEMDOS haven't been modified between the two installation
> attempts. The only remaining reason is the hardware modification I
> made between the two attempts: I've added a MegTT fastram card
> with 16 MBytes of RAM. I've tested the card after purchase and
> works fine under TOS/Mag!C. I'm currently hitting it again, fast
> and hard, with every test program I can find. So far (2 hours)
> none has found an error. Tests will continue until I go to bed,
> the fan is far too loud to keep the TT running while I try to sleep.

Try booting with the '-s' option of loadbsd. This tells it to use ST-ram
only. If this doesn't crash, it has to do with the MegTT. I have a
memory test program that runs under NetBSD somewhere. I'll look it up
and send it to you. It can also be that DMA to the MegTT is flakey.
You can tell the SCSI driver to use only ST-ram for DMA. This option
is called NO_TTRAM_DMA (..../atari/dev/atari5380.c) and is normally
'#undef'-ed.

> Additional question: I'm going to buy a DAT streamer (HP1533A, DDS-2,
> 4 Gbyte native capacity, hardware compression) within the next days.
> I intend to use it with all the (psuedo) operating system I'm running:
> FreeBSD, DOS, TOS and NetBSD. FreeBSD will work, DOS doesn't really
> matter, NetBSD should work (famous last words?), TOS will give me
> trouble. I've found only one good software package for using SCSI
> streamers under TOS: Gem-AR. Unfortunately, GEMAR requires the
> installation of a generic SCSI device driver. This device driver
> only works if I use CBHD (the hard disc driver package from Claus
> Brod's famous Scheibenkleister book). The big question: Is CBHD 
> compatible enough for NetBSD?

I have no experience with CBHD.

> /s/Udo
> PS: I've subscribed to port-atari, so cc to me aren't neccessary
> anymore.
I normally use group-reply, so you will get the reply faster....

Leo.