From mboxrd@z Thu Jan  1 00:00:00 1970
Message-ID: <39524e338f11b0a4ad1a069a4439f239@quanstro.net>
From: erik quanstrom <quanstro@quanstro.net>
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:45:12 -0400
To: 9fans@9fans.net
In-Reply-To: <75410f89120823d761141644cc47a480@quintile.net>
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Subject: Re: [9fans] nvram
Topicbox-Message-UUID: 332fe85e-ead5-11e9-9d60-3106f5b1d025

On Thu Jul 30 14:13:18 EDT 2009, steve@quintile.net wrote:
> no it doesn't, I had this a few days ago, moving disks about so
> nvram couldn't be found. I could still boot the system but I had to enter
> the nvram info from the keyboard, it did then try to write the data back
> which (of course) fails - perhaps it was this write to a dead disk that
> caused the boot process to die.

i hate to disagree.  but i think you may have typed your
auth information incorrectly — that does cause a panic.  but not having
a plan9.nvr or nvram partition does not.  here's a demo i
just ran:

	baxley# 9fat:
	baxley# rm /n/9fat/plan9.nvr
	baxley# echo reboot>/dev/reboot
[...]
	2040M memory: 108M kernel data, 1931M user, 2556M swap
	sdE0: LBA 3,931,200 sectors
	  SATADOM H Type rs1.a000 20090504AA0000000013 [newdrive]
	readnvram: couldn't find nvram
	can't read nvram: unknown device in # filename
	authid: bootes
	authdom: plan9.quanstro.net
	secstore key:
	password:
	can't write key to nvram: unknown device in # filename
	version...time...
	nit: starting /bin/rc
	baxley#

now if i mistype my auth information, i get

	version...authpanic: boot process died: unknown
	entication failed (auth_proxy rpc write: : bad key), trying mount anyways
	boot: mount /: attach -- unknown user or failed authentication
	dumpstack

unfortunately, at this point i'm stuck in a reboot loop and
i can only disconnect the offending media.

- erik