Re: OpenBSD Booting

[OKUJI Yoshinori]

From: "ian.cass" <address@hidden>
Subject: OpenBSD Booting
Date: Fri, 20 Oct 2000 14:17:15 +0100 (BST)

> Comparing the 2.4 and 2.8 OBSD source tree reveals differences in
> /usr/src/sys/arch/i386/i386/machdep.c - there's a whole load of new code
> in there. The new code checks and actions the arguments sent when the
> kernel is called by the bootloader. Seems one of the arguments is a
> 'bootapiver'. Grub does not send a 'bootapiver' as far as I can tell &
> it's therefore zero (or null). 2.4 code would handle this OK, but >2.4
> requires the bootapiver to be >=2. So far as I can tell, all I need to do
> is modify bsd_boot in grub to pass the appropriate parameters to the
> kernel. Hopefully I'll find time over the next week or so to try this. I
> do hope it doesn't turn out to be something a lot more tricky.

  Great. Feel free to ask any questions to this list.

> If there's any OpenBSD C programmers out there perhaps they might like to
> have a look into this a bit to save me a job?

  Pavel may be able to help you.

> I've a feeling that any
> modifications to make OpenBSD work would break NetBSD booting. OpenBSD and
> NetBSD may need to be separated within Grub.

  Probably. If GRUB could detect OpenBSD automatically, that would be
better.

> Ideally OpenBSD would be modified to be multiboot compliant, but I fear
> this is beyond me.

  I agree that this is ideal, but you don't have to do this. You can
choose whichever you like.

Thanks,
Okuji