NetBSD Problem Report #43453

From www@NetBSD.org  Fri Jun 11 02:36:01 2010
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Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2010 02:36:00 +0000 (UTC)
From: mueller6722@bellsouth.net
Reply-To: mueller6722@bellsouth.net
To: gnats-bugs@NetBSD.org
Subject: Can't boot NetBSD i386 normally or with DOSBOOT: "Not a bootxx image"
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>Number:         43453
>Category:       port-i386
>Synopsis:       Can't boot NetBSD i386 normally or with DOSBOOT: "Not a bootxx image"
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       serious
>Priority:       medium
>Responsible:    port-i386-maintainer
>State:          open
>Class:          sw-bug
>Submitter-Id:   net
>Arrival-Date:   Fri Jun 11 02:40:01 +0000 2010
>Last-Modified:  Sat Mar 26 21:40:02 +0000 2011
>Originator:     Thomas Mueller
>Release:        NetBSD 5.1_RC2
>Organization:
None
>Environment:
NetBSD amelia 5.1_RC2 NetBSD 5.1_RC2 (GENERIC) #0: Fri May 21 04:32:33 UTC 2010  builds@b8.netbsd.org:/home/builds/ab/netbsd-5-1-RC2/i386/201005210534Z-obj/home/builds/ab/netbsd-5-1-RC2/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/GENERIC i386

>Description:
I can't boot NetBSD normally from the hard drive; I ge the error message "Not a bootxx image".  This occurs with LILO, and also when I try to boot the partition with grub4dos, running from FreeDOS.  I also have Linux and FreeBSD 8.0 on the main hard drive and FreeDOS on a smaller (1.2 GB) hard drive in a mobile rack.  When I try to boot from FreeDOS using DOSBOOT.COM, it hangs in the middle before I get to any dmesg stuff.  This problem has persisted since NetBSD 5.0.2.  NetBSD 4.0, 4.0.1, 5.0 and 5.0.1 booted OK; NetBSD 4.0 and 4.0.1 only with DOSBOOT because that was, and still is, on a USB stick, which my BIOS can't boot from; I copied the kernel to the FreeDOS partition.  I even tried installing some update patches to NetBSD 5.0.2 before 5.1_RC1 was released.  Problem seems to be with the primary bootstrap.

Only way I can boot NetBSD generic kernel now is by making a small .iso image with installboot and makefs following the example in the installboot man page, and I can boot that using grub4dos running under FreeDOS.  I have to hit the spacebar to interrupt the boot so I can then type "boot netbsd -a" and override the default root of cd0a in favor of wd0a.  That worked successfully.  I also tried filesystem images msdos and ffs, with the netbsd kernel and bootstrap, but could not boot any of those with grub4dos (try syslinux, bot how to make an appropriate hard-disk image?)

I am open to suggestions on what NetBSD emailing lists I should subscribe to (port-i386, users, any other?).
>How-To-Repeat:
It happens every time I try to boot NetBSD from LILO menu, though Linux, FreeDOS and FreeBSD boot normally.
>Fix:
A semi-fix as described under the "Full Description".  Apparently bootxx_cd9660 is OK.

>Audit-Trail:
From: David Laight <david@l8s.co.uk>
To: gnats-bugs@NetBSD.org
Cc: 
Subject: Re: port-i386/43453: Can't boot NetBSD i386 normally or with DOSBOOT: "Not a bootxx image"
Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2010 12:06:20 +0100

 On Fri, Jun 11, 2010 at 02:40:01AM +0000, mueller6722@bellsouth.net wrote:
 > >Number:         43453
 > >Category:       port-i386
 > >Synopsis:       Can't boot NetBSD i386 normally or with DOSBOOT: "Not a bootxx image"
 ...
 > >Description:
 > I can't boot NetBSD normally from the hard drive;
 > I get the error message "Not a bootxx image".

 That error indicates that the bootxx_xxxfs code isn't properly installed.
 The code need to be at the start of the bios partition that contains NetBSD.
 This is usually the root filesystem - but if you've used a non-standard
 disk layout this may not be true.

 Possibly just running 'installboot' to copy in the correct bootxx image
 will fix things.

 	David

 -- 
 David Laight: david@l8s.co.uk

From: David Holland <dholland-bugs@netbsd.org>
To: gnats-bugs@NetBSD.org
Cc: 
Subject: Re: port-i386/43453: Can't boot NetBSD i386 normally or with
 DOSBOOT: "Not a bootxx image"
Date: Sat, 26 Mar 2011 21:37:18 +0000

 On Sat, Jun 12, 2010 at 11:10:06AM +0000, David Laight wrote:
  >> I can't boot NetBSD normally from the hard drive;
  >> I get the error message "Not a bootxx image".
  >  
  > That error indicates that the bootxx_xxxfs code isn't properly
  > installed. The code need to be at the start of the bios partition
  > that contains NetBSD. This is usually the root filesystem - but if
  > you've used a non-standard disk layout this may not be true.
  >
  > Possibly just running 'installboot' to copy in the correct bootxx
  > image will fix things.

 Did this problem ever get resolved?

 -- 
 David A. Holland
 dholland@netbsd.org

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