[rescue] do i really need an NVRAM?

[Arthur Wouk]

:
:On Sat, 2003-02-22 at 06:07, Frank Van Damme wrote:
:> On Saturday 22 February 2003 05:49, Scott Newell wrote:
:> > Nope.  I've brought several of my machines up multiple times with dead
:> > nvrams.  One trick I learned: make a file with the forth commands to set
:> > the environment variables, hostid, checksum, and boot settings.  Then when
:> > you do cold boot the machine, simply cut-n-paste the saved commands into
:> > your terminal window and away you go.
:> >
:> > Or just replace the nvram battery...
:> >
:> > Hmmm...I've never tried running _without_ a nvram...wonder what happens.
:> 
:> My ss2 doesn't boot from hd since the nvram died.
:
:That's the biggest reason why you need the NVRAM.  The system won't boot
:from the HD, it'll try the default diag device, which (usually) is the
:onboard ethernet. 
:
:If you don't mind attending your booting process, I suppose Scott
:Newell's forth suggestions are about your only other (reasonable)
:alternative. 
:
:David
:

it will boot from the hard drive in that case. you have to give it the
following command:

	boot /sbus at 1,f8000000/esp at 0,80000/sd at 3,0

you can check that address out in /var/adm/message* (easy to track
down)  but it is what i have written down and which i used to boot
without nvram.

it will not boot from 'boot disk', as you suggested. you have to
bypass the nvram contents as my suggestion above does.