I have the apparently common problem of CD2 (amd64) from the OpenBSD distro
not booting on an IBM x336. And of course there's no floppy and the box won't
boot off a USB device at all.

One of the avenues I'm considering is booting off the i386 CD1 and then
using the CD2 disc for the install data. Will that work, or will the
i386 install still load up some inappropriate i386 items (eg the boot
sector)?

Has anyone done this?
-- 
Cameron Simpson <cs@zip.com.au> DoD#743
http://www.cskk.ezoshosting.com/cs/

If you can't make it out of coathanger wire, you just aren't thinking.
        - John Whitmore

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On Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:59:01 +1100 Cameron Simpson <cs@zip.com.au>

"apparently common" ? --Never heard of it.

If there is something wrong with your install media for amd64, then
download the ISO and burn a new copy.

 ftp://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/4.6/amd64/install46.iso

Even better, since we're right next to 4.7 release, install the
most recent -current snapshot:

ftp://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/snapshots/amd64/install47.iso

Your subsequent upgrade to 4.7 -release in a month or two will go a lot

Why shoot yourself in the foot?

A better and supported alternative is to netboot the system with
the correct bsd.rd kernel and install the sets via ftp.

"this isn't rocket surgery"

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While I agree with stuff said about your foot and -current, to answer
your question - yes, it should work.

I don't think I've done what you propose on purpose, but I've done it by
mistake enough times.

Provided you're doing an install, you should be able to install the
amd64 sets from an i386 rd boot. I don't see why not, though I'm sure
I'll be corrected if I'm wrong. Pay attention to prompts, and realise
what to ignore and what not to.

Call me a nag, but do read the faqs with a clean slate in your mind. By
all means buy the CDs, kittens will cry if you don't, but look again at
OpenBSD -current. Be aware of where the cycle is, mind you, but this
isn't an OS where -current or -head is totally evil and 1337. That said,
you need to understand where your install choice fits in the cycle.

I personally haven't found that -release is where I want to be. YMMV.

Just remember, when you see the FTP puffy as you're downoading an ISO,
that it feels good to have a -release CD, even if you only use the
stickers. Not to mention the easy source preloading.

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On 15Mar2010 23:11, J.C. Roberts <list-jcr@designtools.org> wrote:
| On Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:59:01 +1100 Cameron Simpson <cs@zip.com.au>
| wrote:
| 
| > I have the apparently common problem of CD2 (amd64) from the OpenBSD
| > distro not booting on an IBM x336. And of course there's no floppy
| > and the box won't boot off a USB device at all.
| 
| "apparently common" ? --Never heard of it.

This is the bought amd64+macppc CD2 disc image. It seems common enough
for the shipped install instructions to suggest using the floppy image
as a boot alternative for this architecture and for me to have tripped
over this issue in the past.

For what it's worth, I've downloaded the 4.5 amd64 install45.iso image
and _it_ boots just fine. I've installed from there now.

However, if I use the amd64 disc from the bought distro, it does not
boot. I'm presuming its weird and different, perhaps doing something odd
in an attempt to also boot on a PPC system? Just guessing.

| If there is something wrong with your install media for amd64, then
| download the ISO and burn a new copy.
|  ftp://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/4.6/amd64/install46.iso
| Even better, since we're right next to 4.7 release, install the
| most recent -current snapshot:
| ftp://ftp.openbsd.org/pub/OpenBSD/snapshots/amd64/install47.iso
| Your subsequent upgrade to 4.7 -release in a month or two will go a lot
| more smoothly.

I'm actually going with 4.5 to match this machine's partner machine.

| > One of the avenues I'm considering is booting off the i386 CD1 and
| > then using the CD2 disc for the install data. Will that work, or will
| > the i386 install still load up some inappropriate i386 items (eg the
| > boot sector)?
| 
| Why shoot yourself in the foot?

Because I was facing an install on a machine which won't boot off USB,
has no floppy and an apparently useless amd64 install CD. Hence my
desire to try getting off the ground with the i386 CD.

| A better and supported alternative is to netboot the system ...
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Hi,

it's not the same thing and it's not very simple to set up but maybe you can
try to boot from lan?

Look at http://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq6.html#PXE

Best regards

-- 
Matteo Filippetto

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If the network, usb or other media work in the i386 bsd.rd, you can use 
the i386 CD to install the AMD64 bsd.rd.  Then reboot and use the AMD64 
kernel to complete your installation.

/Lars

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