Thread: [Etherboot-users] Boot pxelinux.0, then exit to local disk boot?

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etherboot-users

[Etherboot-users] Boot pxelinux.0, then exit to local disk boot?

From: Erik F. <for...@ce...> - 2005-11-15 13:33:10

Hi!

I have a setup where machines with PXE-enabled network cards boot
pxelinux.0, which most often says "localboot 0" which means that the
PXE exits and the machine boots off disk. In some cases, the
instruction from PXE is different, when I want that machine to be
reinstalled. Then I boot off the network and run my installation
program. 

Now, I'd like to be able to do this for machines that are too old to
have a PXE-enabled network card. Hopefully without adding a physical
ROM to their network cards. 

Is there a way to configure etherboot so that it boots off disk, loads
pxelinux (or similar) via network and if pxelinux says so, boots the
operating system on the first hard disk partition? 

Cheers,
\EF
-- 
Erik Forsberg                OpenSource-based Thin Client Technology
Cendio AB                    Phone: +46-13-21 46 00    
			     Web: http://www.thinlinc.com

[Etherboot-users] Boot pxelinux.0, then exit to local disk boot?

From: Erik F. <for...@ce...> - 2005-11-15 13:48:29

Hi!

I have a setup where machines with PXE-enabled network cards boot
pxelinux.0, which most often says "localboot 0" which means that the
PXE exits and the machine boots off disk. In some cases, the
instruction from PXE is different, when I want that machine to be
reinstalled. Then I boot off the network and run my installation
program. 

Now, I'd like to be able to do this for machines that are too old to
have a PXE-enabled network card. Hopefully without adding a physical
ROM to their network cards. 

Is there a way to configure etherboot so that it boots off disk, loads
pxelinux (or similar) via network and if pxelinux says so, boots the
operating system on the first hard disk partition? 

Cheers,
\EF
-- 
Erik Forsberg                OpenSource-based Thin Client Technology
Cendio AB                    Phone: +46-13-21 46 00

Re: [Etherboot-users] Boot pxelinux.0, then exit to local disk boot?

From: Alexander H. <mai...@gm...> - 2005-11-15 14:02:12

> Is there a way to configure etherboot so that it boots off disk, loads
> pxelinux (or similar) via network and if pxelinux says so, boots the
> operating system on the first hard disk partition? 

Use this floppy to install etherboot on your hard disk:
http://etherboot.anadex.de

copy the files pxelinux.0 and chain.c32 from the syslinux package to 
your tftproot.

create the sub-directory pxelinux.cfg in your tftproot
create a file called default

DEFAULT menu
PROMPT 0
TIMEOUT 100
MENU TITLE a simple boot menu
LABEL nextdev
     MENU LABEL next device (depends on BIOS settings)
     localboot 0
LABEL hda
     MENU LABEL Master Boot Record (MBR) of the 1st hard disk
     KERNEL chain.c32
     append hd0
LABEL menu
     MENU HIDE
     KERNEL menu.c32

Alex

Re: [Etherboot-users] Boot pxelinux.0, then exit to local disk boot?

From: Erik F. <for...@ce...> - 2005-11-15 15:24:00

Alexander Heinz <mai...@gm...> writes:

> > Is there a way to configure etherboot so that it boots off disk, loads
> > pxelinux (or similar) via network and if pxelinux says so, boots the
> > operating system on the first hard disk partition?
> 
> Use this floppy to install etherboot on your hard disk:
> http://etherboot.anadex.de

Very, very interesting. 

> copy the files pxelinux.0 and chain.c32 from the syslinux package to
> your tftproot.

I also had to install menu.c32 from the same directory as chain.c32

> create the sub-directory pxelinux.cfg in your tftproot
> create a file called default
> 
> DEFAULT menu
> PROMPT 0
> TIMEOUT 100
> MENU TITLE a simple boot menu
> LABEL nextdev
>      MENU LABEL next device (depends on BIOS settings)
>      localboot 0

This gives me a loop, where etherboot is loaded again. But I think I
should blame my BIOS.

> LABEL hda
>      MENU LABEL Master Boot Record (MBR) of the 1st hard disk
>      KERNEL chain.c32
>      append hd0

append hd0 2

..seems to be a better choice, since it then will boot from the second
partition (not the partition where syslinux is installed).

> LABEL menu
>      MENU HIDE
>      KERNEL menu.c32

Thanks for the answer, I think you just solved my problem!

Btw, is the source code for the All-drivers etherboot available
somewhere? I would like to create a CD that does step 1 and 2 in the
"how to install etherboot to a hard disk" automatically. 

Cheers,
\EF
-- 
Erik Forsberg                OpenSource-based Thin Client Technology
Cendio AB                    Phone: +46-13-21 46 00    
			     Web: http://www.thinlinc.com

Re: [Etherboot-users] Boot pxelinux.0, then exit to local disk boot?

From: Erik F. <for...@ce...> - 2005-11-16 10:25:10

Erik Forsberg <for...@ce...> writes:

> Alexander Heinz <mai...@gm...> writes:
> 
> > > Is there a way to configure etherboot so that it boots off disk, loads
> > > pxelinux (or similar) via network and if pxelinux says so, boots the
> > > operating system on the first hard disk partition?
> > 
> > Use this floppy to install etherboot on your hard disk:
> > http://etherboot.anadex.de 

Being curious - what's the reason for the reboot in the installation
process? 

Cheers,
\EF
-- 
Erik Forsberg                OpenSource-based Thin Client Technology
Cendio AB                    Phone: +46-13-21 46 00    
			     Web: http://www.thinlinc.com

Re: [Etherboot-users] Boot pxelinux.0, then exit to local disk boot?

From: Alexander H. <mai...@gm...> - 2005-11-16 10:45:03

>>>Use this floppy to install etherboot on your hard disk:
>>>http://etherboot.anadex.de 
> 
> Being curious - what's the reason for the reboot in the installation
> process? 

I am using FreeDOS to delete and create partitions. Before FreeDOS can 
write files to the new partition, it has to re-read the partition table. 
AFAIK a reboot is the only way to do this.

Alex

Re: [Etherboot-users] Boot pxelinux.0, then exit to local disk boot?

From: Alexander H. <mai...@gm...> - 2005-11-15 15:27:59

> Btw, is the source code for the All-drivers etherboot available
> somewhere? I would like to create a CD that does step 1 and 2 in the
> "how to install etherboot to a hard disk" automatically. 

Take a closer look at the floppy. There is no source code to publish. It 
is just a bunch of .bat files.

Alex

Re: [Etherboot-users] Boot pxelinux.0, then exit to local disk boot?

From: Erik F. <for...@ce...> - 2005-11-16 10:14:51

Alexander Heinz <mai...@gm...> writes:

> > Btw, is the source code for the All-drivers etherboot available
> > somewhere? I would like to create a CD that does step 1 and 2 in the
> > "how to install etherboot to a hard disk" automatically.
> 
> Take a closer look at the floppy. There is no source code to
> publish. It is just a bunch of .bat files.

Ah, I see.

A related question - if the DHCP and/or TFTP server is unavailable,
would it be possible to get the machine to boot from the second
partition automatically after a timeout?

Cheers,
\EF
-- 
Erik Forsberg                OpenSource-based Thin Client Technology
Cendio AB                    Phone: +46-13-21 46 00    
			     Web: http://www.thinlinc.com