Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2001 01:20:20 -0700 From: Peter Wemm <peter@wemm.org> To: Julian Elischer <julian@elischer.org> Cc: cvs-committers@FreeBSD.org, cvs-all@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: cvs commit: src/sys/boot/i386/loader Makefile Message-ID: <20010822082020.DC1EA38FD@overcee.netplex.com.au> In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.4.21.0108220014360.45760-100000@InterJet.elischer.org>
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Julian Elischer wrote: > Whistle's oldest custommers have machines which were originally installed > with 2.2.5 > > The bootblocks are threfore 2.2.5 bootblocks > from /sys/i386/boot with the NEXTBOOT option > (as that is critical to how the machines operate) they cannot upgrade > to /sys/boot/i386 bootblocks because equivalent functionality to NEXTBOOT > is not present. At present they load a kernel called kernel.elf > and have the boot loader called 'kernel' so that the oldest machines can > be upgraded. I understand that.. But if whistle are building all this old stuff specially, I'm sure they can figure out how to change three letters "elf" to four letters "aout" in one file. The support is fundamental to the btxld command, and isn't going anywhere. > On upgrade, the systems replace the entire root partition > (they have 2 root partitions and they newfs and then rewrite the one > that is not in use). However they do not replace the bootblocks from the > upgrade. It is possible that they can draw a line in the sand and say that > they will never upgrade past 4.x. So the point is moot, however. > > (It is also possible that if they ever do a 5.x release it would only be > reachable from a specific "other" release which could replace the > bootblocks. They would have to add the Nextboot support themselves, or > get elf loading working in the old bootblocks. I realize that. But I think you're overestimating the amount of trauma that this one-line change would have caused. I was actually contemplating seeing what it would take to add nextboot-like functionality to boot2 with the space savings from only having to support one format. > Having said all that I doubt a 5.x release will ever happen at whistle. I doubt that there is any reason to, given that everything significant is getting MFC'ed and will likely be for quite some time. I'm not sure that 5.x is going to be suitable for small/embedded systems like the interjet for a while.. Maybe 6.x though, if whistle is still around and hasn't been borged by then. Cheers, -Peter -- Peter Wemm - peter@FreeBSD.org; peter@yahoo-inc.com; peter@netplex.com.au "All of this is for nothing if we don't go to the stars" - JMS/B5 To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe cvs-all" in the body of the message
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