*BSD News Article 8887


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Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd
Path: sserve!manuel.anu.edu.au!munnari.oz.au!news.hawaii.edu!ames!agate!tfs.com!tfs.com!julian
From: julian@tfs.com (Julian Elischer)
Subject: Re: boot string; boot & root floppy set (was Re: Occasional system hangs)
Message-ID: <1992Dec14.223452.18923@tfs.com>
Organization: TRW Financial Systems
References: <1992Dec11.142822.6314@crash> <1992Dec14.175811.8493@fcom.cc.utah.edu> <Bz9MIu.8A3@NeoSoft.com>
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 22:34:52 GMT
Lines: 39

In article <Bz9MIu.8A3@NeoSoft.com> karl@NeoSoft.com (Karl Lehenbauer) writes:
>In article <1992Dec14.175811.8493@fcom.cc.utah.edu> terry@cs.weber.edu (A Wizard of Earth C) writes:
>>Another useful approach (that would require full acceptance of Julians
>>boot blocks -- as in replacing the wdboot code as well) would be to
>>allow "arguments" on boot to the kernel, like "NOFPU" and "10BITIO" for
>>people with bad FPU's or single sigma 386's.  Of course this would also
>>require the ability to put these flags in a file somewhere so the
>>kernel could have them "on" by default.
>
>Yeah, SCO has gotten a lot of mileage out of their "boot string" and the
>ability to type in command options at boot time, like to select the
>default tape drive, boot into a certain mode, boot a different kernel,
>and so forth.
>
the new bootblocks allow the use of boot modes and differnet drves, kernels etc.

>Another useful thing would be to have a "boot and root" floppy set, where
>booting would pull the kernel off of one floppy but then pause for you to
>insert a second floppy with the "real" root filesystem on it.  It would 
>free up about 400K on the floppy for more useful programs, if it wouldn't 
>be too hard to do.

The new boot blocks also support this too. They only do it if they think
you are booting off a floppy though. (may be commented out on some versions)

>-- 
>-- Email info@NeoSoft.com for info on getting interactive Internet access.
>"Turn on your hot tub by email now.  Ask me how."

julian
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