Best way to get a bootable native (non-hosted) image

[Adam Schroth (Liquidocelot11)]

I'm trying to build a x86 image of inferno to run in QEMU or virtualbox. I'm building it on a linux host right now. I can run it emulated on top of linux using the instructions to build the emu version, but I really wanted to get it running without a host. When I create a bootable image and try and load it into QEMU it hangs loading the bootloader. It appears like my image isn't in a format the plan9 bootloader likes, or maybe is getting corrupted during the build. I did find there used to be a native bootable image online called inferno-pc.img, but it appears to be long gone. I was hoping either someone had this image and could share it with me, or has some advice on getting a working image.

[clasp126...@icebubble.org]

From: "Adam Schroth (Liquidocelot11)" <liquido...@gmail.com> writes:

> I'm trying to build a x86 image of inferno to run in QEMU or virtualbox.

That is rumored to work (see below).

> but I really wanted to get it running without a host.

QEMU and virtualbox are both hosted environments. A native install
would be one running on bare metal.

> When I create a bootable image and try and load it into QEMU it hangs
> loading the bootloader.

When I try loading an inferno kernel on bare metal, it hangs just
after loading the kernel. The problem seems to be that those who
develop/regression test the kernel test it only on virtual hardware
(i.e., qemu) and not on real hardware, which differs in subtle - and
sometimes critical - ways from a virtualized environment.

I have previously asked, on this list, if anyone knows how to get the
inferno kernel running on real hardware. No answers were forthcoming.
But subscribers reported having gotten it to work under a virtual
environment (qemu? I don't know. AFAIC, none of that virtual crap
actually exists). If you look through the archives, you might be able
to find a "magic" (and probably very long) qemu command line recipe
which will work.

Lastly, if anyone reading this knows how to get a native kernel running
on real hardware, please advise!

[Giovanni Lostumbo]

Try PCem: it emulates old machines a lot more accurately than Virtual box or Qemu: 

https://github.com/sarah-walker-pcem/pcem

[Giovanni Lostumbo]

https://web.archive.org/web/20160411084029/https://umdrive.memphis.edu/blstuart/htdocs/inf_nat_inst.html

https://github.com/henesy/awesome-inferno#resources

https://web.archive.org/web/20170325224919/https://umdrive.memphis.edu/blstuart/htdocs/inf_native.html 

There's a few more links in that section, such as building disk images

The 2 links above:

"How to Build a Native Inferno Kernel for the PC

Installing Native Inferno on a PC"

[Adam Schroth (Liquidocelot11)]

True, but the first step for me was getting a working image that doesn't have an underlying OS besides inferno. Like no linux, mac, windows, plan9, unix. etc, just Inferno booting off the HD. If I can get one working I plan to try to mess around with it on bare metal.

[Adam Schroth (Liquidocelot11)]

Big thanks for the links, including the .iso you found. That may hold some promise on trying to find a way to get a bootable image! The other links contain some good information I wasn't aware of. I plan on reading more in depth when I have a moment, but it may have a piece of wisdom that can get me further.

[Adam Schroth (Liquidocelot11)]

Thanks for the help guys! It was actually a big help. I can't wait to start playing around with it. I was able to get a bootable image with the shell. The windows manager isn't working yet, but im pretty sure its because my build was missing some nessisary components. I have /dev/vga1 missing so ill be trying to figure that out 

[da...@boddie.org.uk]

Does this image work?

https://dboddie.gitlab.io/inferno-pc-test-build/

It's constructed by scripts in this repository:

https://gitlab.com/dboddie/inferno-pc-test-build

[Adam Schroth (Liquidocelot11)]

Ill try, thanks for digging that up! Im currently stuck fighting wm, I keep getting wmlib: can't allocate Display: initdisplay: /dev/draw/new: from my own image.

[Ethan Azariah]

On Wed, Jun 3, 2026, at 2:32 AM, Adam Schroth (Liquidocelot11) wrote:
> Ill try, thanks for digging that up! Im currently stuck fighting wm, I keep
> getting wmlib: can't allocate Display: initdisplay: /dev/draw/new: from my
> own image.

wouldn't that be a display driver issue? even if you selected a vesa driver, there are 3 different versions of the vesa vbe. hardware and the os may not support the same versions. there's also the issue that nvidia and i believe ati cards have been found to remove the screen's native resolution from the list offered by the vesa interface. i suppose this is so idiots don't run their cards with vesa drivers and say they're rubbish. this makes sense if you know how stupidity works, lol, but it's a nuisance for os experimenters.

[Adam Schroth (Liquidocelot11)]

Sort of, I thought I didn't have the build options correct to include the display driver, and couldn't figure out what I was missing to get it to work. Turns out I didn't need to include all the extras I was, I found out it initalizes the display in the plan9 boot manager before handing it off to inferno. So I had to re-configure my plan9.ini in the boot image. Now im stuck at the mouse driver not working, but I'm currently taking a short break before I tackle that lol.