Most 3com cards allow you to network (PXE) boot. Sometimes this is an option in the BIOS, sometimes a prompt comes up during boot. This is ideal. Since you know the particular driver that you need, you can use an etherboot diskette (found at www.rom-o-matic.net/5.0.7) to network boot with your card. Just choose the right card, and download the floppy image and copy it to a disk. Boot with that disk and you'll be set. Many times kernels end up too big to fit on a floppy, so this is an alternative. Once you get the MAC addresses, use the network boot option again and copy a newer kernel (such as the one you built or one from SIS, see http://oscar.sourceforge.net/errata/show.php?version=ALL&key=new-sis-kernel) to the appropriate location in /tftpboot. Network boot (with the etherboot disk if necessary) and it should pull in that new kernel without the size limitation of the floppy.
Enjoy! Jason On Tue, 2002-09-17 at 02:03, Daria Roszkowski wrote: > Hello again, > > I should probably add some details to my previous email. > We are having a problem with autoinstall clients. > We are using 3Com Etherlink III network cards in the server as well as all > the (3) clients. When we boot the client from the autoinstall floppy disk, > it does not recognise it's ethernet card and broadcasts only on lo. > Now we have built a new kernel ( stripped of almost everything but > including the support for afore mentioned 3Com cards). > When I try to specify an alternate kernel in mkautoinstalldiskette I get > the message below. > Could you, please, explain in detail what exactly > should I do to be able to collect the MAC addresses from my clients. > Thanks, > Daria > > ########################################################### > #mkautoinstalldiskette -kernel /tftpboot/kernel -out-file out.img > Here is a list of available flavors: > standard > > Which flavor would you like to use for this diskette? [standard]: > 2880+0 records in > 2880+0 records out > Creating DOS filesystem in out.img... > mkdosfs 2.8 (28 Feb 2001) > Using "syslinux" to make floppy bootable... > Creating temporary mount point... > Mounting floppy... > Copying /usr/share/systemimager/i386-boot/initrd-standard-2.1.3oscar.gz to > floppy. > Copying /tftpboot/kernel to floppy. > cp: writing `/tmp/.autoinstalldiskette.2056/kernel': No space left on > device > Couldn't copy /tftpboot/kernel to /tmp/.autoinstalldiskette.2056. > > > > On 12 Sep 2002, Michael Chase-Salerno wrote: > > > Check the mkautoinstalldiskette man page. There are options to specify > > alternate kernels and ramdisks. > > > > Mike > > > > On Thu, 2002-09-12 at 00:28, Daria Roszkowski wrote: > > > > > > Hello, > > > We have a few old PCs ( PentiumI's and Celerons) which I was trying to > > > install Oscar on. The server is running Red Hat 7.3. > > > The server as well as the clients all have 3Com Etherlink III network > > > cards ( ISA). > > > We have exactly the same problem as the one described below. When > > > network booting clients, the clients seem not to detect their own > > > network cards and broadcast only on loopback interface. > > > The support for 3Com cards is added in > > > /usr/share/systemimager/i386-boot/config-standard-2.1.3oscar > > > from the start. > > > Now we recompiled the kernel, but I am not quite clear on > > > what you meant by it. > > > My understanding is that when the autoinstall diskette is created > > > the kernel and initrd files that are used to create it are: > > > /usr/share/systemimager/i386-boot/kernel-2.1.3oscar > > > and > > > /usr/share/systemimager/i386-boot/initrd-2.1.3oscar > > > > > > How can I create a new version of kernel-2.1.3oscar ? > > > Recompiling the kernel and stripping it to fit onto > > > autoinstall floppy is probably not the best idea. > > > > > > I would really appreciate some advice on what to do. > > > Thanks, > > > Daria > > > > > > On 15 Aug 2002, Michael Chase-Salerno wrote: > > > > > > > It looks like another case of the kernel shipped with OSCAR not > > > > supporting your network card. Its the same in either case because both > > > > PXE and floppy boot both end up running the same kernel, its just a > > > > matter of how they get it. Did you try the other kernel from the FAQ > > > > item that I believe Jason pointed out? That may work for you. If not, > > > > you can build a kernel that has your support compiled in. Since you are > > > > PXE booting, you don't have to be concerned with fitting it on a floppy, > > > > so you should just be able to take the .config file from SystemImager > > > > (/usr/share/systemimager/i386-boot/config-standard-2.1.3oscar) and add > > > > your support in. Then build a new kernel and replace the one in > > > > /tftpboot with it. You could also try the standard RedHat kernel from > > > > the server, but I'm not sure if that would work or not, but it would be > > > > quick to try. > > > > > > > > Its normal for the client to attempt to broadcast over lo0, the problem > > > > is that its not trying eth0 also because it doesn't recognize the card. > > > > > > > > The ip_assignment method is really up to you, I'd avoid static_dhcp as > > > > it does some things that aren't what you might normally expect. So > > > > either use dynamic_dhcp if you want the clients to get their IPs from > > > > the server or static if you just want them set at install time. > > > > > > > > Mike > > > > > > > > On Thu, 2002-08-15 at 10:03, Bruce Becker wrote: > > > > > Hi guys > > > > > > > > > > So, we have OSCAR-1.3 on Linux RedHat-7.2, with D-LINK DFE-550TX NIC's > > > > > which are PXE-2.0 compatible and a CHRONOS switching hub and we are trying > > > > > to build a cluster. All steps up to and including step 4 go off without a > > > > > hitch. We have as of now NOT been able to network boot our clients, however ! > > > > > > > > > > I think I have tried everything - network booting using PXE does not work > > > > > and network booting with a floppy has given us the same error as the > > > > > former method. RH-7.2 DOES support our cards. We are now very stuck as to > > > > > what to do, since I think we have exhausted all options and are obviously > > > > > missing something. > > > > > > > > > > Included is our previously posted message (see below). What confuses me is > > > > > that when it is booting, the machine seems to be listening for the DHCP > > > > > broadcast on the loopback device lo, instead of the NIC, eth0. Surely this > > > > > is not right ? Or is it ? If not, how can we change it ? > > > > > > > > > > When we build the image, is it correct to select the dynamic_dhcp option > > > > > as our IP assignment method, or should we choose static_dhcp, or static ? > > > > > At the moment, we have a standalone toy cluster of 2 clients and a > > > > > server... > > > > > > > > > > We are getting quite desperate at this stage, so any insight would be > > > > > greatly appreciated > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > Hi Mike, thanks for answering so soon. I read your mail and decided to > > > > > ./start_over > > > > > > > > > > Now, we get the same error, but let me be more explicit. > > > > > Again, we are using RedHat-7.2 and OSCAR-1.3 > > > > > We have PXE-compatible cards and we are using PXE to boot the clients. PXE > > > > > works fine, I think, since we get the PXE menu option and Linux's kudzu > > > > > had no problem identitying the cards. So, I am assuming now that the > > > > > problem is not hardware-based. > > > > > > > > > > Let me tell you what we did. > > > > > After ./start_over, we once again followed the step-by-step instruction > > > > > manual. > > > > > > > > > > Step 1 went off without a hitch. > > > > > Step 2 (build SIS image) : I chose the standard rpmlist and partition > > > > > files and set the IP assignment method to dynamic DHCP, asking the > > > > > machines to shutdown after install. that all worked fine > > > > > Step 3 : we have at present two nodes, so they were defined as > > > > > oscarnode1.cluster and oscarnode2.cluster and given IP adresses of > > > > > 192.168.1.2 and 191.168.1.3, because the server is 192.168.1.1. No errors > > > > > were reported > > > > > Step 4 : MAC adresses were seen, collected and assigned to nodes, no > > > > > problems. After collecting MAC adresses, we configured the DHCP server (ok) >and then > > > > > rebooted > > > > > > > > > > Now, is where the problems started > > > > > > > > > > When the clients were booted, they correctly booted from the NIC (because > > > > > all other options were turned off in the BIOS) and saw a kernel and then > > > > > looked like they were happily booting. The first wierd thing they did > > > > > was try to look for a .cfg file in /floppy (even though we have no > > > > > floppy drives). Then, they stared listening on the loopback device and > > > > > (obviously ?) didn't hear anything. Then, another thing I thought wasn't > > > > > right was that it had the wrong netmask (I told it 255.255.255.0) - we got > > > > > this message: > > > > > ================================================ > > > > > DHCPDISCOVER on lo to 255.255.255.255 port 67 > > > > > interval 8 (and some other intervals) > > > > > NO DHCPOFFERS RECEIVED > > > > > No working leases in persistent database > > > > > I couldn't configure the network interface using DHCP > > > > > Your auto-install has failed > > > > > =============================================== > > > > > > > > > > When we rebooted the machines, there was nothing installed, which was not > > > > > a surprise. So, we could not proceed to step 5. > > > > > > > > > > What have I left out here ? > > > > > thanks in advance, > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > Bruce Becker, PhD student - Department of Physics > > > > > University of Cape Town > > > > > > > > > > Room 405, R.W. James Building, UCT > > > > > University Avenue North > > > > > Private Bag RONDEBOSCH > > > > > 7700 > > > > > > > > > > tel (w) +27 21 650 3356 > > > > > tel (m) +27 82 537 9425 > > > > > fax +27 21 650 3342 > > > > > > > > > > http://qgp3.phy.uct.ac.za/index_becker.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > 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 > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > Oscar-users mailing list > > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/oscar-users > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------- > > > > 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 > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Oscar-users mailing list > > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/oscar-users > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------- > > > In remembrance > > > www.osdn.com/911/ > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Oscar-users mailing list > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/oscar-users > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------- > Sponsored by: AMD - Your access to the experts on Hammer Technology! > Open Source & Linux Developers, register now for the AMD Developer > Symposium. 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