Note: http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/NFS-Root.html may be your best source of
information.
"True" network boot:
I did this years ago using Slackware, before SuSE was big.
I used a package called "Boot-ROM" written by Gero Kuhlmann. It is really a
package for writing Boot ROMs for putting into network cards if you have an
EEPROM burner but you can use it just loaded onto a floppy too. It scans
for an IP address then attempts to load a kernel over tftp using compiled in
parameters.
Also see http://www.etherboot.org/ as recommended on the PXE Linux homepage
(http://syslinux.zytor.com/pxe.php). You'll need to do some compiling
either way but etherboot looks like the most maintained. At the time I was
doing it (6 years ago) etherboot was a bit basic as I remember.
Possibly a simpler/better option:
If you are sure that you won't ever want to distribute new kernels to your
thin client PCs (i.e. they are not up the side of a mountain with no postal
service! :) then you could just put a kernel directly onto a floppy disk for
them. This is covered in the above HOWTO.
Checking my SuSE 8.2 kernel I see it's got the relevant IP options discovery
and NFS root code compiled in. To use this you'll need to pass the correct
parameters to the kernel at boot time - see nfsroot.txt in /usr/src/linux
(you have to have the kernel_source.rpm package installed). To go this
route you'll also need to install LILO or GRUB on the floppy.
If none of this works (one problem is that there may not be enough room on
the floppy disk) you'll probably need to compile a kernel, which isn't all
that hard really - there are many HOWTOs on how to do this.
If you get nowhere finding stuff, I do have a disk image of a precompiled
boot-rom for floppy disk if you want it, ask me and I'll email it directly
to you but it will only work with NE2000 compatible NIC though which is
probably little use.
Regards,
Carl Peto
Linux Support
Bookman Associates
----- Original Message -----
From:
I've got my tftp/dhcp server up and running but need help preparing a boot floppy which will start the install for me. I want to be able to just boot off the floppy, contact the tftp/dhcp servers and start the install. The attached document is very similiar to my configuration, except a few ip address differences. If someone knows how to create a network boot floppy using this configuration, please respond.
thanks marshall
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