Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 14:32:03 -0800
From: brianh@pongo.West.Sun.COM (Brian Horn)
Subject: Item #256: PPC disk-label package arguments are unclear

P1275 Open Firmware Working Group Proposal -- Proposal #256 Ver 1.0

Title:		Clarifications of the "disk-label" support package

Author:		Brian.Horn@west.sun.com

Date:		March 21, 1995

Ed/Tech:	Technical

Synopsis:	"disk-label" arguments are unclear in their interactions

Doc & Version:	PowerPC binding to OpenFirmware Draft 1.0 2/16/95

Problem:	The <partition>,<filename> syntax is unclear

Proposal:	In section 4.1 page 8 lines 16-27(?)

		The specification works reasonably well for a "load", but
		it is unclear as to what this means for an "open" that
		is *not* followed by a "load".  Suggestion, if some other
		method other than "load" is requested following an "open", then
		the filename portion of the arguments is to be disregarded
		and the "offset" is to start at the beginning of the
		partition and positioned accordingly.

		Further it is unclear as to what file is loaded if the
		arguments are of the form <partition-number> (i.e. no file
		name is specified).  Currently the wording is:

		If filename is omitted, the default filename (i.e. the
		filename component of the "boot-device" path-name) is used.

		Unfortunately, "boot-device" is an ordered list of possible
		boot devices, each of which might have a seperate and
		distinct filename (and/or partition).  Or boot-device might
		be missing or not specifiy and any or all of the paths a
		filename.

		Suggestion:  Change this to:

		"If filename is omitted, the default filename of "boot" is
		utilized."

[ P1275 Item #256 -- Received: Tue Mar 21 14:34:18 PST 1995 ]