Tim said:
>
>>You burnt it as a file to the cd? or burnt it as an image?  (note
>> simtec instructions lack here)  but if you make an iso file system with
>> the img (is it the img or the other file, there's 2 files) in the root
>> partition of it, you should be able to do:
>>boot cd0:filename
>
> I burnt the file to cd, not using the file as an ISO9660 (I did actually
>  try telling Nero to do that but it baulked when it couldn't establish
> the  correct 2048/2356 sector-size or what-not so I figured that writing
> it as a  file was indeed the way to go).
>
> That is to say, if I mount the CD in a PC its content is listed as:
>
>          flash-x86.img

ok you should be able to boot it using:
boot cd0:flash-x86.img

> It could be, however, that the image Nero burnt isn't strictly ISO9660
> compliant. I'll try burning it again this evening with different options
>  and re-try.
>
>>list of things to check this weekend, it appears the downloadable image
>> is wrong!  It should have a netbsd (does it have a netbsd.aout)
>
> The ISO seems to contain "only" the contents of:
>
> ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/NetBSD-1.6/cats

Grr, should have the ungzip'd install kernel on the root partition.

> and thus not netbsd.aout other than in gzipped form (unless I can boot
> that  directly?).

If you've got the CD and happy to make a new one, ungzip the a.out INSTALL
kernel from:
binary/kernel/netbsd.aout-INSTALL.gz

and put it in the root dir of the new CDR,

then boot with:
boot cd0:netbsd.aout-INSTALL

>>I've found no issues with the 30 and 40GB disks in mine, but then I've
>> got the latest firmware...
>
> That's good to know, thanks. :)
>
> I've "liberated" an old 250MB :O drive from a cupboard at work, so I'll
> try  formatting that ext2 and flashing from there if the CD flash still
> doesn't  work.
>
> If I get the flash upgraded and the 20GB drive is properly recognised,
> could I install by untarring the base sets with -zxpf (IIRC?) onto the
> 20GB  on another machine and popping it into the CATS?

It may work from another NetBSD box (would have to be little endian I'd
guess, eg i386), but I'm not 100% sure, I've never tried.

Cheers,
Chris