Re: [Etherboot-developers] [RFC] Relocation techniques...

[<ebi...@ln...>]

Peter Lister <P.L...@sy...> writes:

> > On Mon, 8 Jul 2002, Peter Lister wrote:
> > > > Alternatively the type of NIC is supplied in the DHCP query.
> > > .
> > > > Given that it is safer for the loaded image to bring along it's
> > > > network driver, and stack, because the loaded image can be recompiled
> > > > and fixed.
> > > I agree with what you say, Eric, but this implies complexity on the
> > > dhcp server side to give out images with the right driver. People find
> > > that complicated, so there will be pressure to supply use the initial
> > > firmware driver to be nicely device indepedent.
> > 
> > It's not complicated to set up DHCPD to do this; you can find code that
> > will automate it completely in contrib/initrd.
> 
> *I* know that, *you* know that, *Eric* knows that. :)
> 
> But sites regard DHCP servers as critical, and have strict "no buggering
> around" rules on amending the main server which handles leases or
> setting up another config only server which should respond only to
> requests with the EB VCI. The worst effect of all is if an adventurous
> sysadmin trying non MS code for the first time gets his fingers burned
> and his MS fixated boss decides that it's a sacking offence to run
> another dhcp server.
> 
> WRT safety of design, Eric's absolutely right, though it's worth noting
> that the "opposition" is PXE so the quality threshold is not high. :) I
> think my point is valid; a user who doesn't know much *does* know that
> PXE lets him not worry about which driver to use, so that many people
> will expect drivers to stay resident. Even if one's net booting a full
> Linux kernel, using an EB driver is still useful. If a Linux 'driver'
> for the EB driver using is built in, the kernel can use the EB driver
> for its initial DHCP config; the system can boot and then dynamically
> load a better network driver module later on.

On the side of callbacks.  I have already decided that I won't write
code that prevents them from working, at this point.  At the same time
I won't code the support either.
 
> > As is, this will create NBI files for each network module and will
> > provide dhcpd.conf fragments that deal with automatically selecting
> > the correct NBI based on the PCI/ISA IDs that Etherboot sends.  (I
> > need to update this to use the new binary structures.)
> 
> If new LTSP users can automagically get something that just works, then
> that's a significant step forward, but my perception is that most people
> find dhcp voodoo a bit scary, especially if it seems that they have to
> do (as they see it) dangerous things before anything good happens. Yes,
> it's a dhcp server config issue, but we still have to cope with it.

Or fix it.  If the problem is the dhcp server that is what should
be fixed.