Setting up a file server for a diskless X-Terminal

Derek Tattersall tatters at newsguy.com
Sun Sep 16 21:16:01 UTC 2007


I have a large desktop running F7 , the 64 bit version. I also have a 
few bits and pieces of 32 bit hardware lying around, that I could make 
into a diskless X-terminal. I have been reading up on tftp and pxeboot 
and the kernel docs, and I think I can figure out how to set up the 
client machine as a diskless X-terminal, but I am perplexed by one thing.

What is the best way to set up the root file system? I want to set up a 
series of subdirectories on my main machine with the root file system, 
/bin, /lib, /etc, etc. I would like that to be 32 bit F7. I would then 
export those directories by NFS for the diskless client to use. Is there 
a way to unpack the F7 rpms into these subdirectories? I don't want to 
set up an entire partition for this, and go through the entire 
partitioning and install procedure. I just want to use a portion of the 
existing disk.

Is there an easy way to do this? I have a vague memory that you could do 
this with slackware (this was back in the mid 90's - all my memories of 
that time are vague), is there a way to do this with Fedora?

Thanks.

-- 
Derek Tattersall                    tatters at newsguy.com




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