If you are intending to use bootp or DHCP to download / initiate your OS image then you can get a bootp / DHCP nic rom image from www.rom-omatic.org. This is a nice little database engine that allows you to select the type of nic you have and the type of image you want (rom or a boot floppy) you can then dd the image straight onto floppy which becomes bootable, my ne2000 boot took a whole 32k of disk space!!! (well it is as much ram as my BBC micro had) !!!
You could then set up your DHCP server to download any size / type of image that you require. Linux works perfectly, I think DOS will boot this way as well but you would have problems with certain versions of Windows ( i think ). You can make a linux kernel with NFS root, that is it mounts its root file system from an NFS server, which is what LTSP did. I think the default config for LTSP sets up a small ram disk for the /var /tmp directories while mounting other root subdirectories like /bin /sbin and /etc in ro mode, thus giving optimal protection agains binary / config hacks. I believe you can set LTSP to boot in console mode with telnet rather than straight into X, this was included for debugging purposes ( ie when X terminal didnt load up properly). Telnet is considered insecure these days, but I suspect they have upgraded to ssh by now, it depends on how much to trust your network / users. In summary I would highly recommend the Linux Terminal Server Project. It solves a large number of multiple configurations problems and security issues (being server based) and gives you the option of reusing redundant low spec equipment as desktop terminals. Only real downside is you need powerful server / good network esp. for X which is network hungry at the best of times. However X shouldnt be an issue if your using the telnet option 8-). Hope this helps Tom. Information in this message is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is the intended solely for the person ( or persons) to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, and please delete the message from your system immediately. The views in this message are personal, they are not necessarily those of Torbay Council > -----Original Message----- > From: Jopoy C. Solano [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: 01 August 2002 03:33 > To: plug > Subject: [plug] single diskette tcp/ip client > > hi! > > we are planning to set up a harddiskless computer lab. we will be needing > a > bootdisk that has tcp/ip access so that students can telnet to the server > for exercises. Questiion, how will i create a bootdisk (single > 1.44floppy)? > are there tools for this? > > any help is highly appreciated. > Thanks in advance! > > 'JOPOY > > > ----------------------- > University of Baguio > General Luna Road > Baguio City > Philippines 2600 > > Phone: +63 74 4423540 > Fax: +63 74 4423071 > > http://www.ubaguio.edu > > _ > Philippine Linux Users Group. Web site and archives at > http://plug.linux.org.ph > To leave: send "unsubscribe" in the body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To subscribe to the Linux Newbies' List: send "subscribe" in the body to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] _ Philippine Linux Users Group. Web site and archives at http://plug.linux.org.ph To leave: send "unsubscribe" in the body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to the Linux Newbies' List: send "subscribe" in the body to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
