Re: ARP interfering with Etherboot TFTP?

On Mar 7, 2006, at 2:58 PM, John Connett/ENG/UK/Plasmon wrote:
>> The other curiosity I have is whether PXELINUX works with the built-
>> in PXE stack on the card?
>>
>>     http://syslinux.zytor.com/pxe.php
>>
>> PXELINUX has its own TFTP implementation.
>
> PXE is working (or at least has not been seen to fail) and  
> successfully
> loads etherboot-5.4.1 via a TFTP download of 'undi.zpxe'.  The problem
> occurs during the TFTP download of 'kernel' at the point an ARP 'who
> has?' request was received by the target.  If I get the chance I will
> give PXELINUX a try ...

If you're already loading undi.zpxe via the built-in PXE stack, you  
really would probably do better to use PXELINUX.

It's really easy to get working, and very, very robust.

Here's a very quick online introduction to how to set up PXELINUX  
from the LTSP perspective:

    http://ltsp.sourceforge.net/README.pxe

Here's a shorter summary:

Basically, just set up a subdir in your /tftpboot directory, say / 
tftpboot/foo

  - then, copy your kernel, initrd, and the file pxelinux.0  (from  
the SYSLINUX distribution, see below how to get it) into the the  
directory

  - cd to /tftpboot/foo and create a directory called pxelinux.cfg

  - cd to /tftpboot/foo/pxelinux.cfg and create a file called  
'default' with something like:

default linux
prompt 0
label linux
   kernel mybzkernelimage
   append init=/linuxrc rw root=/dev/ram0 initrd=myinitrdimage

-----------

Note that the kernel and initrd are not processed using mknbi or  
anything.  They're just a kernel and an initrd as you would have in  
your /boot directory.

GETTING SYSLINUX:

You can downlaod the syslinux package with the pxelinux.0 file from:

     http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/ 
syslinux-3.11.tar.gz

That should get you going quickly.  As much as I'd like to get the  
bugs in the tg3 (Broadcom) driver fixed, I think it's only fair to  
tell you that if you're just trying to load a kernel and an initrd,  
and already have PXE on your card, PXELINUX can probably have you up  
in minutes, and do what you want.
PXELINUX also can do menus and load various other neat things, so  
please check it out.

If there is some particular requirement that leads you to want to  
load Etherboot first as an UNDI file, do let us know.

I hope this helps you,

Marty




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