[9fans] New to Plan9

[Roy Miller <e_n_d_e_r@hotmail.com>]

I'm new to Plan 9 and would like to know where to get some information. I've already downloaded the boot disk and distribution package, but I can't figure out how to configure it. I can't get rc to use a smaller font, I can't figure out to use ftp or nfs. I can't even figure out how to give my system a name. I plan on running Plan 9 standalone.

Also, I can't seem to get the boot disk to work with any system I have (except my laptop.) It freezes right after it detects the hdds (or at least I think that's what it did.) All it prints is:

PBS...Plan 9 from Bell Labs
using fd0!dos!plan9.ini
dev A0 port 1F0 config 427A capabilities 2F00 mwdma 0007 udma 0407
dev B0 port 1F0 config 0040 capabilities 0B01 mwdma 0407
dev B0 port 170 config 85C0 capabilities 2F00 mwdma 0007

And then it freezes. The computer is a FIC 503+ w/ a K6-2 and an AGP videocard. It runs FreeBSD, and has windows stuffed on the second hdd. I have a similar system, however, but it only runs windows and has two video cards. It boots fine, but complains about an unknown video card. I'll try to modify the vgadb file later, but why should it boot and not the other?

I have another laptop, it's an old 486 with an old floppy (can't use vfat or ext2, must use fat or minix,) and it stops after this message:

(...)
kfs...boot: nop...kfs 6: suicide: sys trap: fault read addr=blah blah pc=blahdidyblah
boot: read not: file does not exist
panic: boot process dies: unknown
ktrace (...)

Very confusing. Any kind of help would be greatly appreciated.

--Roy Miller
http://www.eightbit.org
AIM: eightbt

The idea is to die young as late as possible.
                -- Ashley Montague