Re: [Thinstation-general] Issue with fastboot

[Eric T. <eri...@un...>]

Hi back,

The FASTBOOT_URL option in thinstation.conf.buildtime finally works. I 
just forgot a little piece of conf :
In your pxelinux.cfg/default file, you have to add the LM=# which Don 
talked about in his previous mail.
I put LM=3 in mine (I use my own pxe files), because, that's the value I 
found in default file built by thinstation 
(build/boot-images/pxe/boot/pxelinux/pxelinux.cfg/default)

This LM option has to be present, I forgot it in my previous summary.

Do you want me to make a clean doc about fastboot somewhere ? I didn't 
find all this on the net, and I know you don't have time enough to make 
all the doc. If I could help this way, tell me. It won't be a complete 
doc, of course, but at least the basics to have it working in most 
cases, that can be completed.

E.T.

Le 19/05/2017 à 18:07, Eric Trezel a écrit :
> After many more tests, I finally managed to get fastboot working.
>
> As Elio Coutinho wrote in his last mail, I had to add the fastboot_url 
> options to the append line in my pxelinux.cfg/default file.
> BUT it didn't work with the web server's name : I had to use its IP 
> Address. It seems that name resolution isn't ready at the time 
> lib.squash should be downloaded.
>
> However, it doesn't work if I activate this option in 
> thistation.conf.buildtime, even with IP Address in place of server's 
> name. I tried many syntaxes for the server's address (with or without 
> quotes, with or without http:// at the beginning...). I can't 
> understand why.
>
> I have two more questions :
> In build.conf file (comments to param fastboot), you talk about 
> "squash lag". Does this option affect performances of clients ?
>
> I noticed http (wget) loading of files is much more faster on my 
> network than tftp (that's why I tried fastboot option). Maybe I should 
> only have used the net_file_method=wget ? Does it work for initrd 
> loading, or only for conf files, later ?
>
>
> To summarize what I finally did (it could eventually be usefull for 
> others) :
> - Activate in build.conf :
> param fastboot true
>
> package autonet
> (package networkmanager was already commented, and stays like this)
>
> param initrdcmd "gzip -9"
> (this option contained "squashfs" first, I found this on a forum 
> (Don's advice that solved someone's issue with fastboot). I'm not sure 
> it's usefull, but I didn't try back with "squashfs" since it works for me)
>
> - In pxelinux.cfg/default :
> add "FASTBOOT_URL=http://ip.of.web.server/" (without quotes) at the 
> end of the APPEND... line
> (put the lib.squash file in this place on the web server, of course.
>
> Thanks for your help
> E.T.
>
>
> Le 19/05/2017 à 15:54, Don Cupp a écrit :
>> Fastboot needs to know where to look to find the lib.squash. We tell 
>> where by putting LM=# at the end of the kernel cmd line. I think 4 is 
>> for PXE, but the cmd is updated with every build. You just need to 
>> copy the pxelinux.cfg with every build in addition to vmlinuz, initrd 
>> and lib.squash
>>
>>
>> On Friday, May 19, 2017 5:45 AM, Eric Trezel <eri...@un...> 
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Le 19/05/2017 à 13:03, Elio Coutinho a écrit :
>> > On my experience, that usually means you didn't include support for
>> > your network card. Make sure you have the needed module on the machine
>> > list.
>> >
>>
>> This is not my case. I made the tests with the same PC I use for all my
>> thinstation tests, for a long time.
>> I only changed fast boot options in conf files.
>> I looked at net conf on the client after boot (I launched busybox on
>> tty2 and used ifconfig) : everything was OK)
>> Just for the record : I also tested with autonet rather than 
>> netwokmanager
>>
>> E.T.
>>
>> > Elio
>> >
>> >
>> > On 19-05-2017 10:31, Eric Trezel wrote:
>> >> Hi,
>> >>
>> >> I discovered a fastboot option, and I'm trying to enable it on my
>> >> thinstation server.
>> >> I activated "param fastboot true" in build.conf, and put lib.squash in
>> >> tftpboot dir.
>> >> But it just doesn't work :
>> >> At client boot, I got this message :
>> >> mount : /tmp/lib.squash: failed to setup loop device : no such file or
>> >> directory
>> >>
>> >> (just before that, I got an error message from cp, just as when 
>> you type
>> >> a wrong cp command)
>> >>
>> >> Then no such device or directory messages about /etc/rc.2 and 
>> rc.5, and
>> >> finally "can't run '/sbin/agetty' : no such file or directory" 
>> infinite
>> >> looping message.
>> >>
>> >> I tried adding a fast_boot_url option in thinstation.conf.buildtime,
>> >> pointing to a web server, with no more luck (exactly the same 
>> behaviour
>> >> at client boot).
>> >>
>> >> I can't see no request for lib.squash in tftp server log (tail -f
>> >> /var/log/syslog during client boot).
>> >>
>> >> I tried to activate package autonet too, with no more result, though
>> >>
>> >> What am I missing ? Could someone explain me the correct way to 
>> make it
>> >> work ?
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Thanks for your help
>> >> E.T.
>> >>
>> >
>>
>> -- 
>> Eric Trezel
>> -----------
>> Technicien de maintenance informatique
>> Direction du Système d'Information
>> Université de Limoges
>> 123 Av. Albert Thomas, 87060 Limoges Cedex
>> Tél : 05 87 08 08 41
>> Num de poste : 38 41
>> Accueil : 05 87 08 08 00
>> Web : http://www.unilim.fr/
>>
>>
>>
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>
> -- 
> Eric Trezel
> -----------
> Technicien de maintenance informatique
> Direction du Système d'Information
> Université de Limoges
> 123 Av. Albert Thomas, 87060 Limoges Cedex
> Tél : 05 87 08 08 41
> Num de poste : 38 41
> Accueil : 05 87 08 08 00
> Web :http://www.unilim.fr/
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
> engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/thinstation-general

-- 
Eric Trezel
-----------
Technicien de maintenance informatique
Direction du Système d'Information
Université de Limoges
123 Av. Albert Thomas, 87060 Limoges Cedex
Tél : 05 87 08 08 41
Num de poste : 38 41
Accueil : 05 87 08 08 00
Web : http://www.unilim.fr/