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Date:      Wed, 7 Mar 2001 00:46:26 +0000 (GMT)
From:      Doug Rabson <dfr@nlsystems.com>
To:        "Kenneth D. Merry" <ken@kdm.org>
Cc:        <ia64@FreeBSD.ORG>
Subject:   Re: Porting the loader
Message-ID:  <Pine.BSF.4.33.0103070044150.4746-100000@salmon.nlsystems.com>
In-Reply-To: <20010306163606.A26628@panzer.kdm.org>

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On Tue, 6 Mar 2001, Kenneth D. Merry wrote:

> On Tue, Mar 06, 2001 at 20:34:57 +0000, Doug Rabson wrote:
> > Since nothing seemed to be happening here (hope I'm not stepping on any
> > toes), I decided to start porting the loader. I now have the thing at the
> > stage where it initialises the console and memory allocator and actually
> > reaches the 'ok' prompt. Can't do much else with it yet though :-).
> >
> > If anyone is interested, I can send the source. I can't commit it just yet
> > since I'm using some Intel header files and I'm waiting for clarification
> > on the license for them.
> >
> > I suppose I'll have to buy an LS120 drive next since that seems to be the
> > only way of getting information onto the beast. Fortunately the loader
> > fits easily on a normal floppy.
>
> Another way to do it would be to install Linux on there and use a DOS
> partition.

I've been seriously considering it.

>
> Both SuSE and RedHat use a DOS partition as the place where they put their
> kernels, etc.  It's mounted under /boot for SuSE and /boot/efi for RedHat
> if you use the default install.
>
> So you can just ftp stuff over and copy it up to the dos partition.  EFI
> knows how to read dos partitions, so you can just do something like:
>
> fs0:
> loader
>
> (assuming it's called loader.efi)
>
> Any idea whether FreeBSD will have to use the same scheme of having a DOS
> partition in order to run the loader?

I think we will have to do this since the only filesystem which the EFI
firmware understands is FAT and we rely on the firmware to load the first
stage loader. I imagine that on an ia64 system the directory /boot will
need to be a separate DOS filesystem.

-- 
Doug Rabson				Mail:  dfr@nlsystems.com
					Phone: +44 20 8348 6160



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