booting SuSE over the network
Hi all, I have just got an IBM Thinkpad X31. These mini laptops do not come with a floppy drive or CDROM, so I need to put Linux on over the network. The machine that will be acting as my server is a windows machine. I have a DHCP server and TFTP server running on that machine. The windows server is hosting the SuSE Linux CDROM. My laptop connects fine to the windows server and I can transfer data via the TFTP server. OK, my question is......what next? How do I get this laptop to boot? I have tried transfering files like isolinux.bin but no matter what I try, I can't get the install to start. All the info on the net seems to point towards installs from Linux servers and the usage of PXE. There is nothing about installing from windows and what files I need to transfer. Any help appricieted, I'm pulling my hair out here Thanks, Ged. ----------------------------------------- Email provided by http://www.ntlhome.com/
On Friday 12 December 2003 22:39, ged.suse@ntlworld.com wrote:
I have just got an IBM Thinkpad X31. These mini laptops do not come with a floppy drive or CDROM, so I need to put Linux on over the network.
The machine that will be acting as my server is a windows machine.
I have a DHCP server and TFTP server running on that machine. The windows server is hosting the SuSE Linux CDROM. My laptop connects fine to the windows server and I can transfer data via the TFTP server.
OK, my question is......what next? How do I get this laptop to boot?
I have tried transfering files like isolinux.bin but no matter what I try, I can't get the install to start.
All the info on the net seems to point towards installs from Linux servers and the usage of PXE. There is nothing about installing from windows and what files I need to transfer.
Can anyone please help me with this? I have tried the loadlin which Carlos suggested, but to no avail. I can transfer files, I just need to know how to get the install started. Thanks, Ged -- -=SuSE Linux 9.0=-
Hi, Am Samstag, 13. Dezember 2003 12:22 schrieb Ged:
On Friday 12 December 2003 22:39, ged.suse@ntlworld.com wrote:
I have just got an IBM Thinkpad X31. These mini laptops do not come with a floppy drive or CDROM, so I need to put Linux on over the network.
[...]
Can anyone please help me with this? I have tried the loadlin which Carlos suggested, but to no avail.
I can transfer files, I just need to know how to get the install started.
The question is: what options do you have on this laptop to boot something (other than the pre-installed system). Like: what would you do if your pre-installed system died and needed re-installation? External CD-ROM devices (USB or firewire) look like the obvious solution. One other possibility would be to take out the harddrive from your laptop and install it on some other machine. Greetings from Bremen hartmut
On Sat, Dec 13, 2003 at 12:35:24PM +0100, Hartmut Meyer wrote:
Am Samstag, 13. Dezember 2003 12:22 schrieb Ged:
On Friday 12 December 2003 22:39, ged.suse@ntlworld.com wrote:
I have just got an IBM Thinkpad X31. These mini laptops do not come with a floppy drive or CDROM, so I need to put Linux on over the network.
The question is: what options do you have on this laptop to boot something (other than the pre-installed system). Like: what would you do if your pre-installed system died and needed re-installation?
How's about using AutoYaST for network installation?
One other possibility would be to take out the harddrive from your laptop and install it on some other machine.
One other possibility is using PXE or BOOTP if NIC on that Thinkpad supports it. Regards, -Kastus
Op Saturday 13 December 2003 12:47, schreef Kastus: Ka> On Sat, Dec 13, 2003 at 12:35:24PM +0100, Hartmut Meyer wrote: Ka> > Ka> > Am Samstag, 13. Dezember 2003 12:22 schrieb Ged: Ka> > > On Friday 12 December 2003 22:39, ged.suse@ntlworld.com wrote: Ka> > > > I have just got an IBM Thinkpad X31. These mini laptops do not come with Ka> > > > a floppy drive or CDROM, so I need to put Linux on over the network. Ka> > Ka> > The question is: what options do you have on this laptop to boot something Ka> > (other than the pre-installed system). Like: what would you do if your Ka> > pre-installed system died and needed re-installation? Ka> Ka> How's about using AutoYaST for network installation? If you can use AutoYast, you could also install manually. Ka> Ka> > One other possibility would be to take out the harddrive from your laptop and Ka> > install it on some other machine. Ka> Ka> One other possibility is using PXE or BOOTP if NIC on that Thinkpad Ka> supports it. Indeed. Ged: There is some info on this in the AutoInstallation Docs. Have a look at "Chapter 5. Network Based Installation", URL:http://www.suse.de/~nashif/autoinstallation/9.0/html/bootmanagement.html Please understand this: Forget about AutoInstallation *itself*. You are only concerned with getting the *Install* process running from the net. Concentrate on *booting* from the net. Cheers, Leen
On Saturday 13 December 2003 13:31, Leendert Meyer wrote:
Ged: There is some info on this in the AutoInstallation Docs. Have a look at "Chapter 5. Network Based Installation", URL:http://www.suse.de/~nashif/autoinstallation/9.0/html/bootmanagement.htm l
Please understand this:
Forget about AutoInstallation *itself*. You are only concerned with getting the *Install* process running from the net. Concentrate on *booting* from the net.
Hi Leen, I have got a little further now in my quest. This has now become something I need to acomplish, even if someone gave me a USB CD-ROM I wouldn't use it now...hehe. I will write up a little paper for the list when I have finally completed this, in the hope that nobody else will have to go through this again :) OK, I have now got my laptop to dowload a kernel over the network via PXE. The kernel starts to load and detect all the hardware. However it stops at this point: Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 48:05 What does this mean and how can I rectify it? I am still new to Linux, so please bear with me. Thanks for the help, Ged. -- -=SuSE Linux 9.0=-
I have got a little further now in my quest. This has now become something I need to acomplish, even if someone gave me a USB CD-ROM I wouldn't use it now...hehe.
I will write up a little paper for the list when I have finally completed this, in the hope that nobody else will have to go through this again :)
OK, I have now got my laptop to dowload a kernel over the network via PXE. The kernel starts to load and detect all the hardware. However it stops at this point: Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 48:05 What does this mean and how can I rectify it?
I am still new to Linux, so please bear with me.
Appologies, I have just realised I provided the wrong line. Should have been as follows: VFS: Cannot open root device "" or 48:05 Please append a correct "root=" boot option ernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 48:05 OK, now what does this mean :) Thanks -- -=SuSE Linux 9.0=-
Op Saturday 13 December 2003 15:01, schreef Ged: Ge> Ge> > I have got a little further now in my quest. This has now become something Ge> > I need to acomplish, even if someone gave me a USB CD-ROM I wouldn't use it Ge> > now...hehe. Ge> > Ge> > I will write up a little paper for the list when I have finally completed Ge> > this, in the hope that nobody else will have to go through this again :) Ge> > Ge> > OK, I have now got my laptop to dowload a kernel over the network via PXE. Ge> > The kernel starts to load and detect all the hardware. However it stops at Ge> > this point: Ge> > Kernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 48:05 Ge> > What does this mean and how can I rectify it? Ge> > Ge> > I am still new to Linux, so please bear with me. Ge> Ge> Appologies, I have just realised I provided the wrong line. Should have been Ge> as follows: Ge> VFS: Cannot open root device "" or 48:05 Ge> Please append a correct "root=" boot option Ge> ernel panic: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on 48:05 There's a paragraph on Booting with PXE in the chapter I earlier mentioned. Hint: Use linux and initrd from 9.0/boot/loader I'm not goint to read that chapter for you. I don't have a PXE NIC, so I can't really help you with that. But I could boot & install from the net, so I know at least something about it (dhcp, tftpboot, grub, etherboot). AAMOF, I just tried the grubfloppy, and almost had a reply ready, when I realized that you can't use floppies. ;-} But you can load a kernel. Read that chapter, especially the PXE part, and then you should be able to boot a kernel with a initrd too. Pay attention to Examples 5.3, 5.4, 5-5, and 5-6! Cheers, Leen
On Saturday 13 December 2003 16:43, Leendert Meyer wrote:
There's a paragraph on Booting with PXE in the chapter I earlier mentioned.
Hint: Use linux and initrd from 9.0/boot/loader
I'm not goint to read that chapter for you. I don't have a PXE NIC, so I can't really help you with that. But I could boot & install from the net, so I know at least something about it (dhcp, tftpboot, grub, etherboot).
AAMOF, I just tried the grubfloppy, and almost had a reply ready, when I realized that you can't use floppies. ;-}
But you can load a kernel. Read that chapter, especially the PXE part, and then you should be able to boot a kernel with a initrd too.
Pay attention to Examples 5.3, 5.4, 5-5, and 5-6!
Hi Leen, I had read the link you provided. I can now get the kernel and initrd to load and boot. I am then presented with options on where the install files located are and what method I am going to use to get them. I have set up an FTP server on my server and put the CD's on there. Upon connecting to the server, the laptop located the correct files and then attempts to start the install. I then get an error message !!!! "install exited abnormally -- recieve signal 11" It then sends terminations signals, unmounts the filesystems and reports that I can now reboot safely. I don't think this now has anything to do with the network install. My only thought is that I need to make a new initrd.img file for this laptop as the one I was using was for the same model laptop, but with a different partition table. Would this affect it? Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks for bearning with me on this :) Ged.
Op Saturday 13 December 2003 18:02, schreef Ged: Ge> Hi Leen, Ge> I had read the link you provided. I can now get the kernel and initrd to load Ge> and boot. I am then presented with options on where the install files located Ge> are and what method I am going to use to get them. Ge> Ge> I have set up an FTP server on my server and put the CD's on there. Ge> Ge> Upon connecting to the server, the laptop located the correct files and then Ge> attempts to start the install. It would help if I knew where the process stopped. Still in text-mode? What are the last 2 lines? Ge> I then get an error message !!!! Ge> "install exited abnormally -- recieve signal 11" Ge> It then sends terminations signals, unmounts the filesystems and reports that Ge> I can now reboot safely. Press <Ctrl>+<Alt>-<F1> (hold down <Ctrl>+<Alt>, then press <F1>) Same for <F2> to <F10>. Look for any *error* messages. Check the server logs on the Windows machine, maybe it tries to get a file that's not there. What are the kernel parameters? (Seems I would not have to send that other email ;) Cheers, Leen
On Saturday 13 December 2003 17:30, Leendert Meyer wrote:
(Seems I would not have to send that other email ;)
not true. All of your emails have been useful. Thank you. I am pleased to say I have finally got SuSE 9.0 up and running fully installed over the network from a windows machine. I will be documenting what I have learnt and submitting it to Linux on laptops and tuxmobile in the hope that it may be of use to others. Thanks again to all. -- -=SuSE Linux 9.0=-
Op Saturday 13 December 2003 20:30, schreef Ged: Ge> On Saturday 13 December 2003 17:30, Leendert Meyer wrote: Ge> > Ge> > (Seems I would not have to send that other email ;) Ge> > Ge> Ge> not true. Ge> All of your emails have been useful. Thank you. You're welcome! :) Ge> I am pleased to say I have finally got SuSE 9.0 up and running fully Ge> installed over the network from a windows machine. That's great! :D Ge> I will be documenting what I have learnt and submitting it to Linux on Ge> laptops and tuxmobile in the hope that it may be of use to others. Are you talking about 2 websites? Their URL's would be usefull for those who read this thread. ;) And I won't deny that I'm curious how exactly you did it. ;) Ge> Thanks again to all. Cheers, Leen
Op Saturday 13 December 2003 17:43, schreef Leendert Meyer: LM> Pay attention to Examples 5.3, 5.4, 5-5, and 5-6! And Example 5-8, 5-9 /tftpboot/menu.lst: ---8<---8<---8<---8<---8<---8<---8< color white/blue black/light-gray default 0 timeout 8 title autoinstall-bootp bootp root (nd) kernel (nd)/linux install=http://10.0.0.1/CDs/9.0 # or use the next line, change to the module name (without .o or so) # kernel (nd)/linux insmod=module_for_nic install=http://10.0.0.1/CDs/9.0 initrd (nd)/initrd ---8<---8<---8<---8<---8<---8<---8< /etc/dhcpd.conf: ---8<---8<---8<---8<---8<---8<---8< option domain-name "example.org"; option domain-name-servers 10.0.0.1; option T150 code 150 = string; subnet 10.0.0.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 { range 10.0.0.128 10.0.0.192; option routers 10.0.0.1; option broadcast-address 10.0.0.255; # GRUB network boot stuff filename "/tftpboot/pxegrub"; server-name "10.0.0.1"; option T150 "(nd)/tftpboot/menu.lst"; } ---8<---8<---8<---8<---8<---8<---8< get pxegrub from 9.0/suse/i586/grub-0.93-106.i586.rpm pxegrub's size is 128974 bytes. I could mail it to you if you like... 129 kB??? Cheers, Leen
On Saturday 13 December 2003 11:35, Hartmut Meyer wrote:
The question is: what options do you have on this laptop to boot something (other than the pre-installed system). Like: what would you do if your pre-installed system died and needed re-installation?
External CD-ROM devices (USB or firewire) look like the obvious solution.
One other possibility would be to take out the harddrive from your laptop and install it on some other machine.
Hi harmut, My boot options are: Removable Media (don't have) Hard Disk Drive ATAPI CD-ROM (don't have) Network When booting from the network, my laptop contacts my dhcp server, gets its address and then contact the TFTP server. It then transfers whatever file I set in the server and then stop. I can't get it to boot from there. I really didn't want to have to go and buy an external CD-ROM just to boot Linux, I was hoping to do it over the network. Hopefully there is a way, if not it looks like i'll be spending more money. Thanks Ged -- -=SuSE Linux 9.0=-
Hi, Am Samstag, 13. Dezember 2003 12:52 schrieb Ged:
When booting from the network, my laptop contacts my dhcp server, gets its address and then contact the TFTP server. It then transfers whatever file I set in the server and then stop.
I can't get it to boot from there.
This might help: http://portal.suse.com/sdb/en/2003/06/tsieden_pxe-install.html Greetings from Bremen hartmut
participants (6)
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Carlos E. R. -
Ged -
ged.suse＠ntlworld.com
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Hartmut Meyer -
Kastus -
Leendert Meyer