From owner-freebsd-net  Fri Jun 30 22:10:14 2000
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Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 22:10:04 -0700
From: nathan@khmere.com
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To: "freebsd-net@FreeBSD.ORG" <freebsd-net@FreeBSD.ORG>,
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Subject: loader and rootdev help !!
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I have FreeBSD 4.0-RELEASE (on i386)

What I am trying to do is  nfs  root  boot from the loader (?)
I do:

ok> unload kernel
ok> load diskless_kernel
ok> set kernel=diskless_kernel
ok> boot -r -h


Now what I understand is the -r flag will tell the kernel to overide the
rootdev and use the "staticly linked device" from when you made the
kernel ?

Now my kernel  (the diskless_kernel ) is a diskless kernel ( with BOOTP,
NFS_ROOT .... etc.. ) compiled in.
But when I boot like this is just tries to mount /dev/ad0s1a ... (normal
device ) even though it gets the proper reply from the bootp server that
its rootfs=<nfs mount> it even prints :

rootfs is <my nfs mount >
Mounting  root from ufs:/dev/ad0s1a

but still mounts the ufs !

How do if force it to boot root fs on nfs  ?

I have tried to do a boot -a then when I prompts me for root fs I enter
the proper nfs mount and it is cool ...... but I need it to do it with
out promting...

I have tried to :

ok> set rootdev=nfs:<my nfs server ip : mount >
ok> boot -h
ok> can't determine root device

I have also passed it kernel flags ?  (mybe wrong ones ... ? )

Now I have looked at the /usr/src/sys/boot/i386/libi386/bootinfo.c  and
I see where it checks the roodev to see if it is proper .....
but I cannot determine what type of device I can name so that this will
not die on me ???
set  rootdev=???

how do I have the kernel to load the nfs root instead of use the currdev
?

What does etherboot do when it loads  the kernel ? does it pass it
special parameters ??

If you are wondering why I just don't boot from etherboot ....etc...(I
do ) but...  I want to be able to boot  my remote systems without a
floppie and chose how to boot from loader (via serail console ...I don't
have serial access for the bios but I can get serial console with
FreeBSD !! ). Either default (use local drive) or load the diskless
kernel , then boot  diskless.
This way I almost the same options ..... and maybe automate it...

Any help would be great !!

thank you kindly....

nathan



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