Re: [Etherboot-users] REQUIRE_VCI_ETHERBOOT Question

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

On Thu, March 9, 2006 2:48 pm, Marty Connor wrote:
> On Mar 9, 2006, at 2:30 PM, Jim McQuillan wrote:
>> On Thu, March 9, 2006 2:14 pm, Marty Connor wrote:
>>> Isn't there some way to use DEFAULT_BOOTFILE to get what you want
>>> using Etherboot?
>>>
>>>      setting DEFAULT_BOOTFILE to:
>>>
>>>          tftp://192.168.1.xxx/tftpboot/lts/kernel.nb
>>>
>>> (I believe) would get an IP address from a DHCP server, and then
>>> (assuming the DHCP server didn't give a filename) would use the
>>> DEFAULT_BOOTFILE.
>     ...
>> He'd still be missing the root-path option that is required by LTSP
>> (assuming he's using LTSP).
>
> =22There's always somethin'=22... :)
>
>> Fortunately, it's possible to fix that in LTSP (Don't ya just love
>> open
>> source?)
>
> OK, I'm dying of suspense.  How do you fix this in LTSP?
> Inquiring minds, WanT tO KnOw...

You'd have to edit the linuxrc script in the initrd to accept a new optio=
n
for forcing root-path.

In fact, you'd have to figure out if DHCP is completely out of the
picture, or of it's still OK for the workstation to query dhcp for it's I=
P
address and netmask/broadcast/gateway info.

If you want DHCP completely out of the picture, you'd have to pass all of=

the information via the kernel cmdline, and then the linuxrc script would=

have to pick that up and NOT call dhclient.

So, I suppose we could add a couple of kernel cmdline options, like:

   ROOTPATH=3D<ipaddr and directory>
   NODHCP=3D=22ipaddr:netmask:broadcast:gateway:rootpath=22

So, you could either set ROOTPATH to the root-path value and use dhcp to
get the rest, OR, you could set NODHCP to contain everything.

of course, with Etherboot, you'd have to set option-128/129 to pass that
kernel cmdline.

Also, I think there's a limit to how long the kernel cmdline can be, but
i'm not sure if the limit is in the range that we should be worried about=
.

Also, the comments above about 'initrd' will all change with LTSP-4.2,
because we are switching over to initramfs.  But, the concepts are still
pretty much the same.

btw, we're on track to deliver LTSP-4.2 for LinuxWorld in Boston (Apr 3-6=
).

Jim.




>
> Marty
>
>
>
>
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