Re: [Etherboot-users] rom-o-matic and a fs

[Marty C. <md...@et...>]

On Sep 1, 2005, at 10:11 AM, Carl Karsten wrote:
> What are the chances of using mkfs.vfat and a rom-o-matic file to  
> create a floppy that will pxe boot and have a fs to store some files?
> ^Carl Karsten

SYSLINUX sounds like what you may want:

Check out:

     http://syslinux.zytor.com/faq.php

You should be able to create a DOS format floppy, make it bootable  
with SYSLINUX, and have it load a .zlilo version of Etherboot you got  
rom-o-matic.net for your card.

As a matter of fact, if you were to get a .iso image from rom-o- 
matic.net, and take a looks inside, you'd see something like:

     $ sudo mount -o loop eb-5.4.0-3c90x.iso /mnt
     $ cd /mnt
     $ ls -l
     total 38
     -r-xr-xr-x    1 root     root        25986 Sep  1 13:27 3c90x.zli
     -r-xr-xr-x    1 root     root         2048 Sep  1 13:27 boot.cat
     -r-xr-xr-x    1 root     root         9652 Sep  1 13:27  
isolinux.bin
     -r-xr-xr-x    1 root     root          174 Sep  1 13:27  
isolinux.cfg

Then, if you looked at the .cfg file:

     $ cat isolinux.cfg
     # These default options can be changed in the geniso script
     SAY Etherboot ISO boot image generated by geniso
     TIMEOUT 30
     DEFAULT 3c90x.zli
     LABEL 3c90x.zlilo
     KERNEL 3c90x.zli

Don't forget to unmount the .iso image:

     $ cd
     $ sudo umount /mnt


Now, you want to do this on a floppy, but it's a similar process.
You could do something like:

Make your DOS Filesystem on a floppy:

     $ sudo mkfs.msdos /dev/fd0
     mkfs.msdos 2.8 (28 Feb 2001)

Mount the floppy, and check it out:

     $ sudo mount /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy/
     $ cd /mnt/floppy/

     $ ls -l
     total 8
     -r-xr-xr-x    1 root     root         8184 Sep  1 13:40 ldlinux.sys

Copy a rom-o-matic.net .zlilo image for the card you need:

     $ sudo cp ~/eb-5.4.0-3c90x.zlilo 3c90x.zli

Create a syslinux.cfg file to load the "kernel" (actually an  
etherboot image masquerading as a kernel)

     $ sudo cat > syslinux.cfg
     TIMEOUT 30
     DEFAULT 3c90x.zli
     LABEL 3c90x.zlilo
      KERNEL 3c90x.zli
(hit control-D to end file)

Check out the floppy:

     $ ls -l
     total 34
     -rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root        25986 Sep  1 13:44 3c90x.zli
     -r-xr-xr-x    1 root     root         8184 Sep  1 13:40 ldlinux.sys
     -rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root           65 Sep  1 13:46  
syslinux.cfg

Don't forget to unmount:

     $ cd
     $ sudo umount /mnt/floppy

Now, just for fun, check it out your floppy with mdir:

     $ mdir a:
      Volume in drive A has no label
      Volume Serial Number is 4317-3CC5
     Directory for A:/

     ldlinux  sys      8184 2005-09-01  13:40  ldlinux.sys
     3C90X    ZLI     25986 2005-09-01  13:44  3c90x.zli
     SYSLINUX CFG        65 2005-09-01  13:46  syslinux.cfg
             3 files              34 235 bytes
                               1 422 848 bytes free

So, there it a floppy, with an DOS filesystem on it, booted with  
SYSLINUX, which then loads Etherboot, which then presumably loads  
pxelinux.0 over the network, which finally loads a kernel.

All FLOSS!

I hope this helps you.  Please let us know how things go.  If you get  
something to work, please post a short recipe or tutorial of your  
method, if you can.

Thanks,

Marty

-- 
     Try: http://rom-o-matic.net/ to make Etherboot images instantly.

    Name: Marty Connor
US Mail: Entity Cyber, Inc.; P.O. Box 391827;
          Cambridge, MA 02139; USA
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   Email: md...@et...
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