When using an Etherboot (or BOOTP) boot ROM network
booting is quite straightforward:
The client PC contacts the DHCP (or BOOTP) server to
get its IP address and the name of the
boot image file (ltsp kernel) to transfer down and
execute. The client PC uses TFTP to
download the ltsp kernel from the boot server; hence
the reason for the TFTP daemon.
In PXE booting, things are little different. The PXE
client must first download a
network bootstrap program (nbp) also known as the PXE
loader. The PXE loader will in turn
transfer down the ltsp kernel. Why is this so? This
is just the nature of PXE.
The PXE loader or nbp must not be greater than 32K in
size; otherwise, you'll get the
unintuitive "PXE-E3A TFTP too many packages" error.
Furthermore, PXE boot ROMs are
unable to execute tagged kernels.
Have a look at the PXE-LTSP How-To or the PXELINUX doc
for details. These files have links on the LTSP
website.
In the case of PXELINUX, the PXE loader is the called
pxelinux.bin. Pxelinux.bin reads the
default.cfg file to determine the ltsp kernel to
download. If you find the PXELINUX
approach too complicated then try the PXE-Etherboot
approach.
The PXE-Etherboot method is quite ingenuious. In a
nutshell, the nbp code forces your PXE
boot ROM to function like a normal Etherboot boot ROM
or floppy. In this approach, you can
use any of LTSP kernel as-is. Normally, PXE boot ROM
can't handle a kernel that has been
tagged using mknbi - which is usually the case with
pre-built kernels found on the ltps website.
Many corporate desktops sold by Dell, Compaq, IBM and
others usually come with a PXE boot ROM built-in.
Some participants might recommend that you should
reflash (reprogram) these boot ROMs with Etherboot
code. However, I find this endeavour pointless, if
not impossible, since the PXE-Etherboot method
mentioned earlier offers the same end result.
Furthermore, retaining the PXE code offers you the
flexibility to work with many PXE-aware desktop
management tools such as IBM's LCCM, Novell's
Zenworks, Symantec Ghost, Altiris Express, and even -
heyhem - Windows 2000 Remote Installation Services.
With PXE you can keep your options open and enjoy the
best of all worlds. You can find a great article on PXE at http://www.argontechnology.com/docs/htm/pxe/index.shtml
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Jim
I see that you always mention the PXEstuff package when asked.
I use the PXE etherboot solution which is easy and works well, also
I've not tried the PXE stuff at all. (I do lots of WSs, will do lots
more, all the newer ones are lan-onboard hence PXE, also shock-horror
new lan cards do not have bootrom sockets)
Would you be so kind as to give 2 or 3 lines of why/pro/cons.
Thanks
James
-------------------------------------------------------
This sf.net email is sponsored by: OSDN - Tired of that same old
cell phone? Get a new here for FREE!
https://www.inphonic.com/r.asp?r=sourceforge1&refcode1=vs3390
_____________________________________________________________________
Ltsp-discuss mailing list. To un-subscribe, or change prefs, goto:
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/ltsp-discuss
For additional LTSP help, try #ltsp channel on irc.openprojects.net
Conrad Lawes
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Finance - Get real-time stock quotes
