On Sat, 22 Sep 2001, Tommy Moore wrote:

> Hi guys. I'm trying to install NetBSD on to a pentium class machine over
> serial console using a null modem cable and terminal program on the
> otherend.

It would help if you had a floppy with the serial boot blocks. I've
placed an image of one up on

   ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/misc/fredb/boot_com0.fs.gz

This is not the install floppy, but only an empty file system with the
serial boot blocks installed. You make it the same way as you'd make
the two floppies from boot1.fs.gz and boot2.fs.gz. [I zeroed it out
first so it would compress well, so I wouldn't want to put up a
non-gzipped version.] Once it sends the banner over the serial port
(com1 on the target, 9600bps, 8-N-1), you have about 10 seconds to hit
the space bar and catch the boot prompt. (Actually, if you miss, it
might simply return to the prompt once fails to find a kernel.)

Once you get the prompt, swap in the first installboot floppy, and
type:

   boot fd0a:netbsd

Proceed as usual. Once you're done installing, you can install the
serial boot blocks to the hard drive before you even let it reboot.
Choose "Utility Menu"; choose "Escape to Shell", and at the shell
prompt, type

   mount /dev/wd0a /mnt
   /mnt/usr/mdec/installboot /mnt/usr/mdec/biosboot_com0.sym /dev/rwd0a
   umount /mnt

If you forget, or something goes wrong, you can just use the serial
boot floppy again, but type

   boot wd0a:netbsd

Let us know how it goes.

Frederick