Subject: Re: Kernel "vanity" config files
To: None <firstname.lastname@example.org>
From: Paul A Vixie <email@example.com>
Date: 07/05/1999 08:49:25
> > [some way to modify device config] It can be interactive,(UserConfig
> > in FreeBSD), or just a file in /etc (like BSDI does in
> > /etc/boot.default). I like the latter approach much.
> A file in /etc does not address the needs of someone with one machine
> and a boot floppy, because without already making the boot floppy boot,
> the user can't modify the file in /etc!
in bsdi, /etc/boot.default is read by /boot and "executed". there are
commands like "-sleep 5" which cause
press any key to interrupt boot: 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1..
to appear. if you have a generic boot floppy that's not going to boot
on the machine you have, then you can press a key at this stage and type
the commands needed to configure the RPB in a way that will get you up.
then you go in and edit /etc/boot.default on the hard disk after install
to make it contain whatever it was that got you up.
there are other good ways to do it, but i wanted to explain how a file
in /etc does in fact do the right thing.