Re: [Etherboot-users] REQUIRE_VCI_ETHERBOOT Question

[Jim M. <ja...@Mc...>]

Lonnie,

While it's true that you can configure Etherboot to set the 
'REQUIRE_VCI_ETHERBOOT' option, it won't do everything you think it will.

The problem is, booting an LTSP workstation involves 2 DHCP requests.  
The first one is from the bootrom (Etherboot OR PXE).  The 2nd DHCP 
request comes from dhclient inside the initrd that is downloaded along 
with the kernel.  That 2nd DHCP request won't do the 
'REQUIRE_VCI_ETHERBOOT' option, it will simply make a DHCP request and 
accept the first response, no matter which dhcp server offers that 
response.  Then, it'll fail, if the wrong server offers it, because the 
wrong server probably isn't sending a 'root-path' value.

You might instead try to set your LTSP dhcp to use ports 1067/1068, 
instead of the standard 67/68.  That way, the workstation will make a 
request, and the only DHCP server that will ever see the request is the 
LTSP dhcp server.

To use ports 1067/1068, there are 3 places you'll have to make a change:

  1)  The etherboot bootrom configuration
  2)  In the dhcpd.conf file, you'll have to set 'DPORT=1067' in an 
'option-129' field.
  3)  You'll have to tell your dhcpd to ONLY listen on port 1067

Take a look at:  
http://wiki.ltsp.org/twiki/bin/view/Ltsp/DHCP#Multiple_DHCP_servers_on_the_sam
for more information.

ALSO, keep in mind, that using Ports 1067/1068 is ONLY an option for 
Etherboot.  You can't do this with PXE.

Hope that helps,

Jim McQuillan
ja...@Lt...



Lonnie Cumberland wrote:
> Greetings All,
>
> I am trying to figure out how to set up a floppy boot image so that I 
> can boot a LTSP client but take advantage of possibly 
> "*REQUIRE_VCI_ETHERBOOT*" and not loose the MAC address as well.
>
> The problem is that we have multiple DHCP servers and need to the 
> client to ignore all requests except from a specific one that is 
> located on another subnet.
>
> I have been told that there is supposed to be a way for me to add in 
> an additional string of information into the floppy boot rom and also 
> on my DHCP server so that when the client nic receives a response from 
> the correct server then it will check for this string as well.
>
> If this is possible, then I would like to be able to specify my own 
> string and not some default one like "Etherboot" which what I have 
> read seems to be in the documentation.
>
> Can anyone please tell me more about this?
>
> Thanks and have a good day,
>
> Lonnie T. Cumberland
> OutStep Technologies Incorporated
>
> Email: Lo...@ou...
>       Lon...@ya...
> Recommended sites:
>     http://www.peoplesquest.com
>
>
>
>
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