NetBSD/Amiga

[strim]

Could it be an issue that xstreamtodev has not written ALL of the minirootfs contents?? I notice the utility goves no indication whether it was successful or not, even with the --verbose option. It wrote for probably about 10 seconds and then just stopped and went back to the amiga cli prompt. I can only assume it worked ok.

I remember that output of xstreamtodev is not really intuitive... So it's possible that it worked fine even if it didn't report success, although I can't check it now, since I'm away from my Amigas.

I am just wondering what exactly the loader cant find?

It can't load second stage boot loader from the NetBSD filesystem (can be named /boot.amiga or /boot or /boot.ami ).

Originally Posted by ahhyes

Could it be any jumper setting on my Blizzard 1260 causing an issue? There is a mapROM jumper setting that supposedly maps ROM to fastram. I wonder if this could be messing anything up?

I doubt it, but it doesn't hurt to check...

[Rotzloeffel]

Originally Posted by ahhyes

I used the same arguments to xstreamtodev as you quoted

I'm wondering whether the type of disk drive I am using could be an issue? It's not a real IDE drive:

http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/...roducts_id=883

Though the Amiga HD Tools had no trouble seeing it..

I'll try the stuff you suggested tomorrow I have the unit at work

Hi! You should boot from the early-startup Menu! If you can´t see your root or swap parition in the eraly startup-menu you have to install the Barkeley-Filesystem into the RDB of your root AND swap parition! You can download it from the Aminet: http://aminet.net/package/misc/emu/bffs

extract bffs1.5beta/l/BFFSFilesystem to L: open hdtoolbox and add new filesystem on root and swap choosing L:BFFSFilesystem

if you did so, you can see both parititions in your early Startup-menu!!

this is allways needed if you try to install NetBSD on other platform than A3000 or A4000!

if you copy the miniroot fs to your swap paritition, a small output in % is given to you with indicates the usage of the Diskspace! if you have a 100 MB Swap for example and the miniroot.fs is 3 MB you should see 3% then it is OK!

If you have any further questions conatact me!

[strim]

Originally Posted by Rotzloeffel

If you can´t see your root or swap parition in the eraly startup-menu you have to install the Barkeley-Filesystem into the RDB of your root AND swap parition! You can download it from the Aminet: http://aminet.net/package/misc/emu/bffs

extract bffs1.5beta/l/BFFSFilesystem to L: open hdtoolbox and add new filesystem on root and swap choosing L:BFFSFilesystem

if you did so, you can see both parititions in your early Startup-menu!!

I don't know what exactly does adding BFFSFilesystem to RDB do, but it shouldn't be needed. If someone followed the INSTALL instruction and it didn't work for some reason (no partitions shown in early startup), then bug should be filed (perhaps with assistance from port-amiga at netbsd.org list).

this is allways needed if you try to install NetBSD on other platform than A3000 or A4000!

It shouldn't be needed on any Amiga. I've installed it countless times on A600, A1200, A3000 and A4000 and never needed it. It always just worked after specifying correct RDB values in HDToolBox.

[Rotzloeffel]

Originally Posted by strim

I don't know what exactly does adding BFSSFilesystem to RDB do, but it shouldn't be needed. If someone followed the INSTALL instruction and it didn't work for some reason (no partitions shown in early startup), then bug should be filed (perhaps with assistance from port-amiga at netbsd.org list).



It shouldn't be needed on any Amiga. I've installed it countless times on A600, A1200, A3000 and A4000 and never needed it. It always just worked after specifying correct RDB values in HDToolBox.

But not on A2000 / Blizzard 2060! I tried it many, many times! without that Filesystem I had no chance! you also see both paritions then on your Workbench-screen:-) I had this "Problem" on my A2000 and my A1200! On my A4000 it works perfekt without the Filesystem.

[strim]

Originally Posted by Rotzloeffel

But not on A2000 / Blizzard 2060! I tried it many, many times! without that Filesystem I had no chance! you also see both paritions then on your Workbench-screen:-) I had this "Problem" on my A2000 and my A1200! On my A4000 it works perfekt without the Filesystem.

What Kickstart version do you have in your A1200 and A2000? Maybe it's related. I have 3.1 in all my machines.

[Rotzloeffel]

Originally Posted by strim

What Kickstart version do you have in your A1200 and A2000? Maybe it's related. I have 3.1 in all my machines.

I have also 3.1! I read that it have something to do with the ide-interface on SOME machines! Maybe something changed with the Motherboard-Revisions ?

It is differnent depending on the SCSI-Host or IDE you use! As I wrote it works perfect on my A 4000 without the BBfilesystem!

Also I suggest to install new Software by compiling it by yourself! The pre-compiled packages could bring you trouble:-) For example: install "nano" from the precompiled section it will not work! compile it by yourself, using

ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/pkgsrc/stable/pkgsrc.tar.bz2

# cd /usr
# tar xzf pkgsrc.tar.bz2

# cd /usr/pkgsrc/editors/nano
# make install

works perfect! To extract the source-files you need approximately 3 hours on an Amiga 2000/060

Compiling nano is about 30 Minutes.

but it solves the problems with the missing shared Object :-)

[strim]

Originally Posted by Rotzloeffel

It is differnent depending on the SCSI-Host or IDE you use! As I wrote it works perfect on my A 4000 without the BBfilesystem!

I have only SCSI in my A3000 and never needed this to install BFFS in RDB. Maybe it's a problem specific to Blizzard 2060 (or its boot ROM).

It's difficult to tell what is the reason, but it's good that you've found workaround for this problem.

[Rotzloeffel]

Originally Posted by strim

I have only SCSI in my A3000 and never needed this to install BFFS in RDB. Maybe it's a problem specific to Blizzard 2060 (or its boot ROM).

It's difficult to tell what is the reason, but it's good that you've found workaround for this problem.

Yes! Maybe!

Just one question. I would like to change the resolution of the console by using

#kdload vesa
#vidcontrol -i mode
(for getting available modes)
#vidcontrol MODE_<Modenumber>

is this possible? And where can I find kdload and vidcontrol packages to compile? They are not installed by the default setup.

if it works I would like to add

allscreens_flags="Mode_<Modenumber>"

to /etc/rc.conf

Thanks

[strim]

Originally Posted by Rotzloeffel

#kdload vesa
#vidcontrol -i mode
(for getting available modes)
#vidcontrol MODE_<Modenumber>

This is FreeBSD-specific, we don't have that in NetBSD. But I think you might want to check the grfconfig tool ;-).

[Rotzloeffel]

Originally Posted by strim

This is FreeBSD-specific, we don't have that in NetBSD. But I think you might want to check the grfconfig tool ;-).

ahhhh O.K! I will have a look! I allready used grfconfig to set the screenmodes for the X-server

I will do a

#man grfconfig

to figure out what to do:-) I like to find out those things by myself.....hopefully I find the solution by my self:-)

[strim]

Originally Posted by Rotzloeffel

ahhhh O.K! I will have a look! I allready used grfconfig to set the screenmodes for the X-server

I will do a

#man grfconfig

to figure out what to do:-) I like to find out those things by myself.....hopefully I find the solution by my self:-)

The truth is that I don't really remember, but there was a bit of magic to grfconfig... like using specific mode number (255?) to set text mode to some resolution. I'm not sure if that's properly documented.

[Rotzloeffel]

oh come on:-)

the way to do it is known...

adding a Mode with c ......instaed of a number! but now Netbsd only uses the half of the screen for output! is there an additional coment instead of "default" to get it working ?

thanks

[strim]

AFAIR you need to let the terminal know that it has become bigger by using iteconfig utility.

[Rotzloeffel]

Originally Posted by strim

AFAIR you need to let the terminal know that it has become bigger by using iteconfig utility.

The terminal becomes bigger! The resolution is correct! but the output (Text) is only in the upper 30% of the screen.

I can go down by pressing "enter" but if I try to login, it puts wierd signs behind the login-name and the password. So I am unable to log in anymore!

but as you remember:-) I installed the filesystem, so i can edit the grfmodes by using amiga OS:-) putting a "#" before the new mode and the standard mode is working again:-)

maybe this is a driver bug of the CV/3d in Zorro II mode ? Or I did somthing wrong...

[strim]

Originally Posted by Rotzloeffel

maybe this is a driver bug of the CV/3d in Zorro II mode ? Or I did somthing wrong...

I have CV64/3D somewhere in this room, but I need to find some time to install it in the Amiga and test it. Hopefully next week .

[Rotzloeffel]

Originally Posted by strim

I have CV64/3D somewhere in this room, but I need to find some time to install it in the Amiga and test it. Hopefully next week .

Yes simply put a "c" instead of 1,2,3 before the wanted resolution will change the screenmode with the known "problems"!

but remember! I use the CV64/3D in ZII Mode!!! Maybe that there is a difference?

but it is enough for today:-) I will have a sleep now! maybe we should find the solution for these issues by PM or email and post it in the thread instead of highjacking this thread for our discussions?

[rare_j]

I remember that when I tried linux on my a1200 bliz 1230iv it would not start while maprom jumper was set. All sorts of strange errors. It seems that linux somehow cannot tell that the 512k of ram has been allocated elsewhere. It all worked fine as soon as i disabled maProm jumper. I would give it a go.

Originally Posted by ahhyes

Could it be any jumper setting on my Blizzard 1260 causing an issue? There is a mapROM jumper setting that supposedly maps ROM to fastram. I wonder if this could be messing anything up?

[ahhyes]

Originally Posted by Rotzloeffel

Hi! You should boot from the early-startup Menu! If you can´t see your root or swap parition in the eraly startup-menu you have to install the Barkeley-Filesystem into the RDB of your root AND swap parition! You can download it from the Aminet: http://aminet.net/package/misc/emu/bffs

Guten Tag!

All my partitions show up in the early boot (if I have set them as bootable). I honestly think something may be wrong with my unit since nobody else is having this problem (the OP's video shows a version of NetBSD that I myself cannot get to boot on my A1200, so I am not convinced it's any bug of NetBSD).

I've had weird things happen even in workbench, like I copy files (such as lha archives, zip files) to a floppy disk on a PC, then try and bring them across in Workbench using CrossDOS to the HD and whenever I try to unzip or un-lharc them, they are always reported as corrupt, however if I copy the files to ram: first, and try and to uncompress them there, it works fine. Similarly any ADF image I try to write to a floppy disk are always unbootable. I am betting if I copy the adf images to ramdisk and try and write them to disk from there they will probably work. Possessed machine.

Given the sort of weird behavior like that I am seeing with the unit, I would not at all be surprised if the miniroot fs that got copied is corrupted. Perhaps I have a bad 1260 board or bad ram or something to that effect.

[Rotzloeffel]

Originally Posted by ahhyes

Guten Tag!

Given the sort of weird behavior like that I am seeing with the unit, I would not at all be surprised if the miniroot fs that got copied is corrupted. Perhaps I have a bad 1260 board or bad ram or something to that effect.

Aha! this looks like a Hardware-Problem. What kind of Harddisk do you use? maybe it is a problem of a wrong Max-Transfer value on your Amiga-Paritions.

For an internal ide drive you should set FFS-Parititions to:

Mask = 0x7FFFFFFC
MaxTransfer = 0x0001FE00

you can change this values in hdToolbox without dataloss! After entering each value you HAVE TO PRESS "ENTER" otherwise the values are not stored.

Give it a try BTW! This have NO effect on the allready corrupt files!!

[ahhyes]

Originally Posted by Rotzloeffel

Aha! this looks like a Hardware-Problem. What kind of Harddisk do you use? maybe it is a problem of a wrong Max-Transfer value on your Amiga-Paritions.

For an internal ide drive you should set FFS-Parititions to:

Mask = 0x7FFFFFFC
MaxTransfer = 0x0001FE00

you can change this values in hdToolbox without dataloss! After entering each value you HAVE TO PRESS "ENTER" otherwise the values are not stored.

Give it a try

I'm using the compact flash drive from amigakit, does this still apply?

[strim]

Originally Posted by ahhyes

I'm using the compact flash drive from amigakit, does this still apply?

MaxTransfer might apply, depending on a CF card used. Some cards need it, some don't.

NetBSD makes no use of this setting (it doesn't need it, as the ata/wd driver is sane enough to pick a proper value automatically, in contrast to AmigaOS scsi.device). It is important to have it set correctly during transfer of miniroot (on AmigaOS).

BTW. As far as I know Mask value is unused on IDE controllers even on AmigaOS...

[Rotzloeffel]

Originally Posted by strim

MaxTransfer might apply, depending on a CF card used. Some cards need it, some don't.

NetBSD makes no use of this setting (it doesn't need it, as the ata/wd driver is sane enough to pick a proper value automatically, in contrast to AmigaOS scsi.device). It is important to have it set correctly during transfer of miniroot (on AmigaOS).

Yes! It is VERY important so ensure a correct transfer of the extracted miniroot.fs and the other problems he told us

Originally Posted by strim

BTW. As far as I know Mask value is unused on IDE controllers even on AmigaOS...

IHMO you should set it! I have no idea because it only tells the controller to use chip-Ram 24-bit DMA or other Ram and as far as I read, there is no known device wich needs chip or 24-bit instead of any Ram.

[strim]

Originally Posted by Rotzloeffel

IHMO you should set it! I have no idea because it only tells the controller to use chip-Ram 24-bit DMA or other Ram

Amiga IDE controllers don't use DMA at all, that's why this value doesn't make any sense for them .

and as far as I read, there is no known device wich needs chip or 24-bit instead of any Ram.

I can imagine you could have Zorro II DMA SCSI controller with badly written driver that would try to do DMA to Fast outside 24-bit area. Then you would use the mask value to prevent it from accessing this Fast RAM...

[ahhyes]

Originally Posted by strim

Amiga IDE controllers don't use DMA at all, that's why this value doesn't make any sense for them ..

So then it makes no difference whether I set this value or not?

[Rotzloeffel]

Originally Posted by strim

Amiga IDE controllers don't use DMA at all, that's why this value doesn't make any sense for them .

I can imagine you could have Zorro II DMA SCSI controller with badly written driver that would try to do DMA to Fast outside 24-bit area. Then you would use the mask value to prevent it from accessing this Fast RAM...

Aha! Thanks for the explanation! But never heard about such Controllers.

BTW! Good morning strim

[Rotzloeffel]

Originally Posted by ahhyes

So then it makes no difference whether I set this value or not?

set it to the value I wrote or leave it as it actually is. The maxTransfer value is the value you must change!

And remember! a allready extracted miniroot.fs on your harddrive and also the copied adf-files and all others are eventually corrupt! You need to extract it again from a CD-Rom to ensure that it is not corrupt.

[ahhyes]

ahh i had gotten mixed up with mask and xfer (tired after work. lol). my bad. I had set both of these to zero when i created the partitions.maybe that is why i am having problems.

[Rotzloeffel]

Originally Posted by ahhyes

ahh i had gotten mixed up with mask and xfer (tired after work. lol). my bad. I had set both of these to zero when i created the partitions.maybe that is why i am having problems.

I am sure that this is your actual problem...... With computers it is the same as in life! Don´t drink and drive

[ahhyes]

Originally Posted by Rotzloeffel

I am sure that this is your actual problem...... With computers it is the same as in life! Don´t drink and drive

What about drinking and operating a computer *raises bier stein*

[Toni Wilen]

Max transfer requirement is not drive/CF bug, it is ROM built-in IDE scsi.device "feature" (requires ATA-1 behavior that was removed in ATA-2, note that some drives still do support ATA-1 behavior)

http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=759918&postcount=25

[Rotzloeffel]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Max transfer requirement is not drive/CF bug, it is ROM built-in IDE scsi.device "feature" (requires ATA-1 behavior that was removed in ATA-2, note that some drives still do support ATA-1 behavior)

http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=759918&postcount=25

we become a little bit offTopic atually but thank you for this link! So this is the reason to set maxtransfer to 255 blocks instead of 256 with 512 bytes as one piece and therefore 0x1FE00 ?

[ahhyes]

Actually I provided a screenshot in an earlier post:

http://ahhyes.net/IMAG0030.jpg

I thought I had set those to zero.. I think I just left the defaults as per in the screenshot

[Rotzloeffel]

Originally Posted by ahhyes

Actually I provided a screenshot in an earlier post:

http://ahhyes.net/IMAG0030.jpg

I thought I had set those to zero.. I think I just left the defaults as per in the screenshot

jepp and these are wrong in your case! Why are you using custom-filesystem instead of FastFilesystem?

uhhh Maxtransfer is only needed for your Amiga-OS Paritition!!!!!!!!

[Rotzloeffel]

your screenshot is showing your SWAP Paritition! There is no need for changing maxtransfer ! it is not needed and ignored by netBSD!

you have to change it only on your Amiga-OS Parititions!

[ahhyes]

yes, but what about when writing the miniroot fs data to that partition whilst still in amiga OS? there is still the potential for this to be a problem?

[ahhyes]

Originally Posted by Rotzloeffel

jepp and these are wrong in your case! Why are you using custom-filesystem instead of FastFilesystem?

So I can install NetBSD. The install document gives this information. I am wondering whether the maxtransfer could be affecting things when running the xstreamtodev utility under amigaos to dump the miniroot fs data.

I'll go back and check whether those values are messed up for any Amiga partitions, I was curious about the specific issue as mentioned above.

[Rotzloeffel]

Originally Posted by ahhyes

So I can install NetBSD. The install document gives this information. I am wondering whether the maxtransfer could be affecting things when running the xstreamtodev utility under amigaos to dump the miniroot fs data.

I'll go back and check whether those values are messed up for any Amiga partitions, I was curious about the specific issue as mentioned above.

the reason for this is IMHO that you got a corrupt miniroot.fs after unpacking it from CD to your Amiga-OS Paritition with a wrong maxtransfer value which causes IMHO your boot problems! Like a corrupt startup-sequence for example.

[ahhyes]

Thanks for the suggestions! It's certainly given me something to go back and check. I ended up putting the amiga away after a lot of frustration and completely random behaviour that ended up driving me insane.

I think I will just wipe all the partitions and start from scratch with a clean slate.