Subject: Re: SYS_INST
To: Nathan Gelbard <gelbard@engr.orst.edu>
From: Jason Thorpe <thorpej@nas.nasa.gov>
List: port-hp300
Date: 02/26/1997 02:02:45
On Tue, 25 Feb 1997 17:30:38 -0800 
 Nathan Gelbard <gelbard@ENGR.ORST.EDU> wrote:

 > I just FTPed all of NetBSD 1.2 onto my friends 1.1 SCSI drive he is
 > loaning me.
 > Just for kicks, I gunziped SYS_INST and tried to see if it would work.
 > 
 > I ran it (chmod +x), and get ./SYS_INST: Exec format error.
 > Wrong Architerure.
 > 
 > I got it from the hp300 distrib, and I'm running it on an hp300.
 > Whats up here?

Oh .. SYS_INST is not an executable you run from NetBSD.  It's a LIF
file, that is run directly by the BOOT ROM.  Basically, it's a boot
block that does Special Things, like partition the disk, and copy a
miniroot file system from an NFS server.

You need to do one of two things:

	- Place SYS_INST in the boot area of a ROM-supported boot
	  device, or

	- load SYS_INST via the network from an rbootd server.

The diskless(8) manual page will have more info on this, as will
the 1.2 INSTALL notes.

Jason R. Thorpe                                       thorpej@nas.nasa.gov
NASA Ames Research Center                               Home: 408.866.1912
NAS: M/S 258-6                                          Work: 415.604.0935
Moffett Field, CA 94035                                Pager: 415.428.6939