Hi there. Correct me if I am wrong, but the file
ultrix4.2a-disklabel in ftp://ftp.nsdbsd.org/
/pub/NetBSD/NetBSD-1.2/pmax/mdec  the correct
one to use? Because thats the one I have been using
that gives me all the usage errors. The syntax I try 
is:
ultrix4.2a-disklabel -w -B -b rzboot -s bootrz /dev/rz2a

Is this the correct syntax?
Please correct me if I am wrong.

Thank you so much.

isaac.
<koheni@voyager.bxscience.edu>

On Mon, 24 Feb 1997, Jonathan Stone wrote:

> On  Tue, 10 Dec 1996 03:13:53 -0500 (EST),
> Isaac Kohen <root@izik.inx.net> writes:
> 
> 
> >Hi there. I have a DECStation 5000/120 at home. I have been
> >trying to use the ultrix disk label to write a miniroot 
> >but it always gives me usage errors. I tried writing 
> >in different syntax but same error always appears.
> 
> This won't work.  You need to use the NetBSD disklabel program
> cross-compiled to run under Ultrix. 
> 
> The ultrix disk label doesn't recognize NetBSD-style bootblocks and
> almost certainly won't write them. Also, Ultrix disklabels aren't kept
> in the same place as NetBSD disklabels, they have less information
> than NetBSD disklabels,  and the Ultrix disklable program won't
> recognize NetBSD-style disktab entries.
> 
> 
> In short, you want to write a NetBSD disklabel with NetBSD bootblocks.
> The simplest way to do that is to use the NetBSD disklabel program
> that's been ported to Ultrix.  You can  put the NetBSD bootblocks
> in the Ultrix /usr/mdec; the Ultrix utilities will safely ignore them.
> 
> 
> 
> >I am
> >running Ultrix 4.2a on a 120 with 32mb ram. I was trying
> >to write to a 200mb DEC SCSI drive. I also heard it is possible
> >to boot NetBSD off my linux box but I dont at all know how.
> >If you have
> >any ideas on how to boot the dec, please help. 
> 
> Yes, it's possible to boot diskless over the network from any system
> that supports either (1) MOP with ECOFF files (e.g., another Ultrix
> system), or (2) bootp and tftp.  In either case you need an
> ECOFF-format kernel, since that's all the DECstation prom understands.
> 
> 
> A summary is: find the ethernet address of your machine from the PROM
> using cnfg (or CNFG 3?).  Configure a bootp server with the ethernet
> address and the IP address you want to use.   Configure a TFTP server
> with an ECOFF-format kernel where the DECstation can TFTP it.
> 
> (I think on some versions of Linux, this may mean naming the ECOFF
> file with a symlink that's the IP address of the diskless machine,
> encoded in hex as eight ASCII bytes).  
> 
> You also need to make sure that bootpd and tftpd are correctly
> running: e.g., by commenting them into /etc/inetd.conf on the server
> machine, and restarting inetd on the server.  see man bootpd, man
> tftpd for details.   
> 
> If memory serves, someone got a 3100 up recently using a Linux
> machine as a diskless boot host; see the port-pmax archives for
> details, but note that the  bootpath syntax for the TurboChannel
> machines is completely different.
> 
> >Thank you.
> 
> Hope that helps
> 
> --Jonathan
>