There you go had a stable LTSP dual boot diskless windows/Linux for about a year now see below the article I did publish when first booted windows diskless.
I Started by a real need to find a way to give my daughter a cheap
computer to play some games with, OK , but she's young and if she starts
deleting files all over the place, I want to be able to re-boot the PC
and find a machine as good as new. so the file system must be
indestructible but it must allow her to install her games ...
diskless boot is the answer to her prayers. and the beginning of her
father's nightmare ... a true Linux geek for 8 years has to go back to
Doze what a pity ...
anyway here is the recipe I followed:
Ingredients
-----------
1 Mainboard(In all good attics, ask your attic's provider)
1 486 DX4/100 processor(ATTIC PROVIDER)
128 Mo of SIM(SAME ATTIC)
a small and old hard drive (YOUR WIFE'S COMPUTER __YOU WILL HAVE TO
FORMAT THIS ONE__ SO DO NOT TOUCH THE MAIN DRIVE)
An ethernet card (3C509b got from ebay)
LTSP stuff(CVS sync'ed) (if you want the diskless to be dual boot
Linux-Windows)
Etherboot stuff(CVS synced)
One AT case (From retailer called MAPLIN)
One sound card (Pfooo)
Speakers (re-pfoo)
and most of all loads of patience, lots of help from some real good and
competent people from so many web sites ....
Original Idea from Lyubomir Kamenov ...
1 full and licensed WINDOWS 98 CD-ROM
1 full and licensed version of MS-DOS 6.22 (if you have a DOS 6.2 you
can download the upgrade from Microsoft's web site)
Notes concerning the ingredients:
After helping myself to my wife's second hard-drive I had to sleep in
the sofa for three days as her computer "didn't work as well as before",
so if you can find a better solution or if you have a spare bedroom just
e-mail me ;-))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Anyway, back to the serious stuff
Server side:
Install and configure mars_nwe so that you have a fully functionnal
NOVELL server, search for the LINUX IPX HOWTO and you will find tons of
tips on the web.
Get Etherboot, compile ... follow the readme... and there you go ;-)
Maybe get ltsp if you want Linux on your diskless ;-)
configure DHCPD so that it will give your station whatever it needs to
boot:
here is a small extract of my DHCPD.CONF
host adrian {
hardware ethernet 00:60:97:dd:71:61;
fixed-address adrian.patricknet.net;
option option-128e4:45:74:68:00:00;
option option-129"NIC=3c509 IO=0x300";
option host-name "adrian";
filename "/tftpboot/kerndos";
#option root-path "10.1.1.1:/opt/ltsp/i386";
}
right, you must have a tftp server as well ;-) and the mtools package!!!
here is how to make you kerndos:
go to a computer that has Windows 98 installed,
create a rescue floppy disk
back to you Linux server:
insert the floppy, do not mount it!
mkdir <whatever>
cd /<whatever>
dd if=/dev/fd0 of=bootblock bs=512 count=1
there you go you have your bootblock we will use that as the first
sector of our virtual floppy (kerndos)
now you have to work the station a bit:
Install DOS 6.22 on a real clean hard drive, (re-create the partition
from fdisk and format ... ) the reason for installing DOS 6.22 will be
explained later but it is absolutely critical that you format FAT 16 and
not FAT 32.
download the ODI drivers for your ethernet card and install them (3COM
is really good at this ...)
once LSL, your NIC driver and VLM are successfully loaded, and that you
can see you pseudo-NOVELL, you have the image you care about.
transfer all these files to the server, it is rather painful but it has
to be done
back to the server:
you have to format you pseudo floppy disk:
mformat -C -t 80 -s 36 -h 2 -B bootblock x:
and follow the instructions in man mknbi ... you will have to use
mknbi-dos of course)
my x: drive contains the following files:
useio sys 222390 03-03-2002 12:22 io.sys
msdos sys 9 03-03-2002 12:22 msdos.sys
command com 93890 03-03-2002 12:22 command.com
himem sys 33191 03-03-2002 12:23 himem.sys
emm386 exe 125495 03-03-2002 12:23 emm386.exe
ramdrive sys 12663 03-03-2002 12:23 ramdrive.sys
3C5X9 COM 42000 03-03-2002 22:01
autoexec bat 194 03-07-2002 9:58 autoexec.bat
AUTO VLM 4527 03-03-2002 22:01
NET CFG 1286 03-03-2002 22:09
NETX VLM 16921 03-03-2002 22:01
BIND VLM 4680 03-03-2002 22:01
config sys 122 03-05-2002 2:30 config.sys
CONN VLM 10833 03-03-2002 22:01
edit com 69902 03-03-2002 22:01 edit.com
FIO VLM 18234 03-03-2002 22:01
xcopy exe 3878 03-03-2002 22:01 xcopy.exe
GENERAL VLM 4525 03-03-2002 22:01
IPXNCP VLM 10083 03-03-2002 22:01
3c5x9x exe 774883 03-03-2002 14:08 3c5x9x.exe
IPXODI COM 39353 03-03-2002 22:01
LSL COM 18313 03-03-2002 22:01
mouse ini 24 03-03-2002 22:01 mouse.ini
NDS VLM 8500 03-03-2002 22:01
net bat 43 03-03-2002 22:01 net.bat
nmr vlm 9874 03-03-2002 22:01 nmr.vlm
NWP VLM 6628 03-03-2002 22:01
pnw vlm 10128 03-03-2002 22:01 pnw.vlm
PRINT VLM 7973 03-03-2002 22:01
REDIR VLM 14777 03-03-2002 22:01
route com 4936 03-03-2002 22:01 route.com
xcopy32 exe 3878 03-03-2002 19:19 xcopy32.exe
xcopy32 mod 41472 03-03-2002 19:19 xcopy32.mod
rsa vlm 19621 03-03-2002 22:01 rsa.vlm
SECURITY VLM 7978 03-03-2002 22:01
TRAN VLM 1545 03-03-2002 22:01
tsasms com 21692 03-03-2002 22:01 tsasms.com
vlmboot bat 410 03-07-2002 8:36 vlmboot.bat
VLM EXE 37611 03-03-2002 22:01
nwnet exe 74122 03-03-2002 22:48 nwnet.exe
getsdt bat 246 03-03-2002 22:48 getsdt.bat
emsdsk86 exe 19584 03-05-2002 2:24 emsdsk86.exe
emsdsk exe 19472 03-05-2002 2:24 emsdsk.exe
emstat exe 6548 03-05-2002 2:24 emstat.exe
file_id diz 385 03-05-2002 2:24 file_id.diz
readme txt 15894 03-05-2002 2:24 readme.txt
setxmsto exe 8902 03-05-2002 2:24 setxmsto.exe
xmsdsk exe 20016 03-05-2002 2:24 xmsdsk.exe
xmstat exe 6580 03-05-2002 2:24 xmstat.exe
SCRSCENE EXE 103733 03-05-2002 2:50
SPIDRWEB PCX 34663 03-05-2002 2:50
fdisk exe 63900 03-05-2002 19:07 fdisk.exe
format com 49575 03-05-2002 19:07 format.com
sys com 18967 03-05-2002 19:58 sys.com
scandisk exe 143818 03-07-2002 7:46 scandisk.exe
SHDIAG EXE 170185 03-07-2002 10:10 Shdiag.exe
clearhdd exe 11142 03-07-2002 10:11 clearhdd.exe
setver exe 18939 03-07-1994 16:08 setver.exe
58 files 2 491 133 bytes
408 576 bytes free
some of these are just diagnostic tools, do not copy verbatim ;-)
once you've run
mknbi-dos /tmp/floppyimage > /tftpboot/kerndos
you're all set, and you will boot disklessly a DOS7 connected to you
NOVELL (Pfooooooo)
search the web for xmsdsk, a very powerfull replacement for RAMDRIVE
which allows you to create ram drives up to 2 Go (the upper limit for
DOS RAMDRIVE.SYS is 32 Mo.
install WINDOZE from you shared NOVELL CD on your wife's drive ... and
compress the partition.
now comes the terrible truth: If you skipped the DOS installation and
formatted from Doze rescue disk YOU JUST CAN'T COMPRESS because drvspace
doesn't compress FAT 32 drives ;-((((((
(If that is the case you will sleep in the sofa for NOTHING ... GRRRR)
____PAUSE FOR EFFECT____
ok thanks for listening, let's go back to business ...
once you have compressed your C drive, Doze created a host drive for
you, (H: be default) go to H, run drvspace and reduce the size of the
compressed drive below 100 Mo, modify your autoexec.bat on you
/tmp/floppyimage and re-run mknbi-dos etc ...
here is my temporary autoexec,bat:
@ECHO OFF
rem This immediately starts VLMboot (like the autoexec.bat)
rem because you cannot have several autoexec.bat's in sys:\login
REM XMSDSK 102400 C: /C1 /T /Y
call VLMBoot.bat
(I WILL UN-REM THE LINES WHEN IT WORKS FOR GOOD ...)
AND VLMBOOT.BAT
@echo off
mouse
path a:\;c:\;
LSL
3c5x9
rem /A saves 9K by not using SPX protocol
rem /D (instead) saves 3K by not using SPX diagnostics
rem type /? to see options
ipxodi /A
Vlm
F:
LOGIN SUPERVISOR <Password>
REM copies the compressed drive
rem xcopy z:\drvspace*.* c:\*.*
rem c:
REM mount the compressed drive
rem drvspace /MOUNT
REM unloads the VLMs
rem VLM /U
REM 3C5X9 /U
REM LSL /U
rem c:\windows\win.com
FINALLY COPY h:\drvspac*.* to z:\ (SYS/PUBLIC on your NOVELL server)
and you should be ready to roll
GOOD LUCK
/Patrick
On Tue, 2003-08-26 at 22:14, Les Finch wrote:
> The only way I know is to install win4lin or VMware, then install
> windows on server. Les
>
> On Mon, 2003-08-25 at 15:34, Sawan Gupta wrote:
> > Thanks for your quick help.
> > But I want to know how to make diskless windows, so that the
diskless
> > client can boot in Windows from LAN only. I do not wish to install a
> > hard disk on clients.
> >
> > Sawan Gupta || [EMAIL PROTECTED] ||
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: John McCreesh [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Sent: Sunday, August 24, 2003 8:34 PM
> > To: Sawan Gupta
> > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Subject: Re: [Ltsp-discuss] Windows with Diskless and Load Balancing
> >
> > On Sat, 23 Aug 2003 20:09:17 +0530
> > Sawan Gupta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> > > I have used LTSP in my college labs and is working fine.
> > > Now I have a question that now we also wish to provide Windows
98/XP
> > > to the diskless clients. How is that possible with LTSP.
> > >
> > > I want it to be in such a way that the diskless client boots then
LILO
> > > or GRUB appears and the user gets a choice to boot with Windows or
> > > Linux.
> >
> > This has been discussed previously on this list:
> >
> > http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=ltsp-discuss&m=103696305931279&w=2
> >
> > John
> >
> >
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------------
> > This SF.net email is sponsored by: VM Ware
> > With VMware you can run multiple operating systems on a single
machine.
> > WITHOUT REBOOTING! Mix Linux / Windows / Novell virtual machines
> > at the same time. Free trial click
here:http://www.vmware.com/wl/offer/358/0
> >
_____________________________________________________________________
> > 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.freenode.net
> --
> Les Finch [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 442 London Road
> High Wycombe Bucks HP11 1LP
> 01494 534146 or 07788824548
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------
> This SF.net email is sponsored by: VM Ware
> With VMware you can run multiple operating systems on a single
machine.
> WITHOUT REBOOTING! Mix Linux / Windows / Novell virtual machines
> at the same time. Free trial click
here:http://www.vmware.com/wl/offer/358/0
> _____________________________________________________________________
> 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.freenode.net
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