Subject: pmax default kernel name [was Re: CVS commit: syssrc]
To: Jason Thorpe <thorpej@nas.nasa.gov>
From: Simon Burge <simonb@netbsd.org>
List: tech-kern
Date: 11/28/1999 10:56:33
Jason Thorpe wrote:

> [[ "netbsd.pmax" as the first default kernel to be booted ]]
> 
> The Alpha port looks for kernels in the following order:
> 
> 	[[ deleted ]]
> 
> No "netbsd.alpha".  It seems that not only are you slowing down the
> common case of booting "netbsd" on a normal system, but you're adding
> noise to the process, as well ("Can't open netbsd.pmax...", etc.)

The common case of booting a kernel called "netbsd" won't be affected
on the pmax - all of the pmax doco says that you specify a full boot
path including the kernel name for the "boot" PROM variable (like
"3/rz0/netbsd").  AFAIK the default kernel names aren't even documented
anywhere (but will be when I finish this bootblock update).

For the alpha (I have only used a pc164) I don't specify a kernel to use
(just "boot dka0" or something similar) so having "netbsd" as the first
default makes more sense there.  In fact, I couldn't tell you off the
top of my head how to specify an alternate kernel name on my pc164 - I
haven't had to yet...

> Why be inconsistent with existing practice?

I don't believe it's inconsistent with existing _pmax_ practice...

Simon.