[Etherboot-developers] mkinitrd-net in contribs

[Michael B. <mb...@fe...>]

I have just uploaded mkinitrd-net to etherboot-5.0/contribs/initrd.  From
the README:

mkinitrd-net enables you to use your distribution's stock kernel for
diskless workstations, without having to compile in support for the
relevant network card(s).  It creates an initial ramdisk image containing
the required network-card kernel modules and bootstrap scripts to load the
module, obtain an IP address via DHCP and mount the root filesystem via
NFS.

mkinitrd-net also generates a dhcpd.conf file fragment that can be used to
automate the process of mapping NBI files to clients, based on the PCI IDs
of their network cards.  Etherboot will send the PCI ID of the network
card to the DHCP server in the etherboot-encapsulated-options field
(Etherboot 5.0.7 and newer) and the DHCP server can use this to identify
the correct NBI to point the client towards.

The end result is that:

a) You can avoid the hassle of compiling custom kernels for diskless
   workstations.

b) Diskless workstations will automatically download the correct
   kernel+initrd.

c) You have an easier life! :-)



Instructions are very simple: run "make".  Has been tested on Mandrake 8.2
only; reports of problems with other distributions are very welcome.
Patches to make it work with other distributions even more so.  :-)

Michael Brown
http://www.fensystems.co.uk