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-.\" $FreeBSD$
-.Dd July 9, 1996
-.Dt NEXTBOOT 8
-.Os
-.Sh NAME
-.Nm nextboot
-.Nd install a default bootstring block on the boot disk
-.Sh SYNOPSIS
-.Nm
-.Op Fl b
-.Ar filename bootstring
-.Ar
-.Nm
-.Op Fl ed
-.Ar filename
-.Sh DESCRIPTION
-The
-.Fx
-program
-.Nm
-controls the actions of the boot blocks at the time of the next boot.
-If compiled with the correct option,
-the boot blocks will check the nameblock for a magic number and a
-default name to use for booting.
-If compiled to do so they will also
-delete the name from the block, ensuring that if the boot should fail,
-then it will not be tried again.
-It is the job of
-.Pa /etc/rc
-to use
-.Nm
-to re-install the string if that boot is found to have succeeded.
-This allows a one-time only boot string to be used for such applications
-as remote debugging, and installation of new, untrusted kernels.
-The nameblock is defined at compile time to be the second physical block
-on the disk.
-.Pp
-The following options are available:
-.Bl -tag -width indent
-.It Fl b
-Is used for bootstrapping (initially configuring) the nameblock.
-Without
-this,
-.Nm
-will refuse to write to a block that does not already contain the magic
-number.
-.It Fl d
-Disable (temporarily) an existing name block by changing a bit
-in the magic number.
-.It Fl e
-Restore the good magic number on a block disabled by
-.Fl d .
-.El
-.Pp
-The
-.Fl e
-and
-.Fl d
-flags are mutually exclusive.
-.Sh DESCRIPTION
-.Nm Nextboot
-first checks that the disk has an fdisk table and checks that none of the
-partitions defined in that table include the nameblock.
-If the name block is
-shown to be unused, it will install the bootstrings given as arguments,
-one after the other, each preceded by a small magic number, and NULL
-terminated.
-The end of the list of strings is delimited by a sequence of
-0xff bytes.
-If the boot blocks are compiled to write back the nameblock
-after each boot, it will zero out the supplied names as it uses them,
-one per boot,
-until it reaches the 0xff, at which time it will revert to the compiled in
-boot string.
-At this time the nameblock will contain only zeroed out names.
-.Pp
-An example of usage might be:
-.Bd -literal
- nextboot -b /dev/rwd0 1:sd(0,a)/kernel.experimental wd(0,a)/kernel.old
-.Ed
-.Pp
-Which would instruct the boot blocks at the next boot,
-to try boot the experimental kernel off the SCSI disk.
-If for any reason this failed, the next boot attempt would
-boot the kernel
-.Pa /kernel.old
-off the IDE drive. (Assuming the write-back option were enabled) If this
-in turn failed.
-The compiled in default would be used.
-.Pp
-If the write-back feature is disabled, the nextboot program is a convenient way
-to change the default boot string.
-Note, that should the file specified in
-the nameblock be non-existent, then the name compiled into the boot blocks
-will be used for the boot rather than the next name in the nameblock.
-The
-nameblock is only consulted
-.Em once
-per boot.
-.Sh SEE ALSO
-.Xr boot 8 ,
-.Xr disklabel 8 ,
-.Xr fdisk 8
-.Sh BUGS
-This program works only in conjunction with the legacy boot code.
-.Pp
-The entire program should be made more user-friendly.
-The option of whether to write back or not should be stored on the
-disk and not a compile time option.
-I want to rethink this at some
-later stage to make it co-exist with disks that do not have
-a fdisk partitioning table (i.e. purely disklabel'd systems).
-.Pp
-Whether to write back or not should be specified at run-time in the nameblock
-so that the boot blocks need not be altered to get this feature.
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