this is obsolete doc -- see http://doc.nethence.com/ instead

NetBSD/sgimips network boot 

Setting up the daemons 

Make sure you've got those in your DHCP server configuration, 

[...]

allow bootp;

[...]

host sgi-o2 {

        hardware ethernet cc:cc:cc:cc:cc:cc;

        fixed-address CLIENT_IP;

        server-name="TFTP_SRV_IP";

        filename "netbsd";

}

Note. change MAC address accordingly. 

Make sure tftp is configured to serve '/tftpboot' specificly (-s /tftpboot), 

grep ^tftp /etc/inetd.conf

Make sure both are up and running, 

ps ax | grep dhcpd

ps ax | grep inetd

Make sure the relevant kernel is available. For an OČ (IP32), it's, 

mkdir -p /tftpboot/

cd /tftpboot/

ftp -a http://ftp.free.fr/mirrors/ftp.netbsd.org/NetBSD-6.1/sgimips/binary/kernel/netbsd-INSTALL32_IP3x.gz

gunzip netbsd-INSTALL32_IP3x.gz

ln -s netbsd-INSTALL32_IP3x netbsd

Ready to go 

Only connect the network cable and the terminal to your OČ. When no keyboard is plugged in, it spits on serial port 1 by default. 

Reset to factory defaults, 

5) Enter Command Monitor

resetenv

init

Now enter the Command Monitor again and see what hardware you've got, 

5) Enter Command Monitor

hinv

unconfigure the default IP address and proceed with the network installation, loading netbsd through tftp, 

unsetenv netaddr

bootp():

Note. you can force the filename e.g., 

bootp():/netbsd

Note. it's apparently a shortcut for, 

boot -f bootp():/netbsd

Auto boot 

Configure the SGI boot loader, 

5) Enter Command Monitor

setenv SystemPartition pci(0)scsi(0)disk(2)rdisk(0)partition(8)

setenv OSLoadPartition pci(0)scsi(0)disk(2)rdisk(0)partition(0)

setenv OSLoader boot

setenv OSLoadFilename netbsd

and make sure you get something on the serial console, not only the Comand Monitor ! 

setenv console d

and apply, 

init

Additional notes 

Note. 'halt -p' or 'shutdown -p' when the whole operating system is running, works, so you can power off the machine with NetBSD. 

Troubleshooting 

Note. Using the gzipped kernel won't work. You would get, 

Illegal f_magic number 0x1f8b, expected MIPSELMAGIC or MIPSEBMAGIC.

Unable to execute bootp()::  execute format error

References 

How to install NetBSD 2.0_BETA on a SGI O2 with MIPS R10000 CPU 

http://www.wenks.ch/fabian/NetBSD-SGI-O2.txt