Date: Sat, 29 Apr 1995 22:32:46 -0400 (EDT) From: Peter Dufault <dufault@hda.com> To: root@io.cts.com (Morgan Davis) Cc: jkh@time.cdrom.com, rgrimes@gndrsh.aac.dev.com, hackers@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: What I'd *really like* for 2.0.5y Message-ID: <199504300232.WAA15466@hda.com> In-Reply-To: <199504292034.NAA12363@io.cts.com> from "Morgan Davis" at Apr 29, 95 01:34:21 pm
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Morgan Davis writes: > > Peter Dufault writes: > > > > The verbose flag could become bit patterns. One bit can be "log > > failures". And we could zap the kernel or the boot block > > to keep the flag settings (zapping boot block is nice since you could > > zap in your boot file name as well, including a "no pause before boot" > > zap). > > Maybe there is a way to actually write a default boot prompt command > line, so that it is humanly easy to record without the need of > consulting a bit chart and a calculator or a special utility? I was thinking more about how the kernel code would be written and not the user interface to these flag bits. I expect we'd use different command line flags, for example "-v" for all possible messages, "-f" for failures as well as successes, etc., with the kernel setting the bit patterns for us after it examined the flags the booter passed. Otherwise I can see it now: "Try booting with -v 0xdeadbeef..." > defaultboot "kernel -v" > > This would allow you to include a path to a different kernel and > arguments -- perhaps if you're doing a bunch of testing and need a > non-standard way of booting up. And, of course, it would also let you > control the verbose mode (and any other modes) as you see fit. > > I suggest that the boot code display this before the boot prompt so > that you know what will happen if you don't intervene and the bootcode > times out waiting for input. If it times out, it uses the default > boot command line. Ideally you'd just print the default boot line and let them edit it via line editing, but I consider the booter to be off limits due to space considerations. I was wondering if anyone would complain about "zapping" the file name because we don't have space for alternate extensions. -- Peter Dufault Real Time Machine Control and Simulation HD Associates, Inc. Voice: 508 433 6936 dufault@hda.com Fax: 508 433 5267
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