this isn't perfect, or complete, but there is a minimal
64-bit and/or 386/pae usb boot environment here
http://ftp.quanstro.net/other/usbtest.bz2. it's only 10mb,
so it should be a quick download. the reason
for building this was to quickly debug a system that wouldn't
install, but it might be interesting to try out.
a few random notes and gotchas:
0. with dhcp, one can get to get to the full distribution with:
ip/ipconfig && ndb/dns && 9fs atom
1. you will find the usb boot device @ /dev/sdu0, a loopback
device.
2. there is a bug in kfs (patched in 9atom; patch submitted to
sources) to be aware of. so be careful if using tools from
sources on 64-bit kernels.
3. finally, there's (by plan 9 standards) quite a bit of acpi support
in the 64-bit kernel. power events have been somewhat rashly
turned on, and may cause trouble.
as always, i'd be interested in any reports of success or failure.
- erik
