[K12OSN] Adding Thin Client boot option to a Windows box

[Andy Rabagliati]

Folks,

  In a Thin Client lab, network booting from a server is usually
  accomplished by an EPROM installed on the network card. This is still
  the optimal solution, but can be inconvenient, because of the lack of
  an EPROM burner, or an onboard network card having no facility for this.

  Sometimes it is a lab full of Windows computers, that just need
  dual-boot (to LTSP) capability added.

  Sometimes they are donated computers, with nothing useful on
  possibly-small hard drives.

  I modified a copy of Toms root/boot to provide a quick,
  one-step solution to these issues, and document the process at
  http://www.wizzy.org.za/article/articlestatic/14/1/2/

  I pulled out all the ext2 tools (sorry, needed the space), and
  put eb-5.3.7-etherboot-pci.zlilo and a setup script in the root dir.

  This is an etherboot image with support for all PCI network cards
  supported by the etherboot project, from http://www.rom-o-matic.net/

  log in as root, and type "./ltsp.sh /dev/hda1"

  The script tries mounting that partition, to create C:\etherboot on it with
  the "kitchen sink" etherboot image above, and run lilo to set it up.

  If the partition does not exist, the script offers to trash the hard
  drive and create /dev/hda1 itself, as a vfat partition.

  Please let me know if there are problems. 

Cheers,    Andy!

http://wizzy.org.za/

PS.

  It has been tweaked since my post earlier this week, to fix a bug in
  the re-formatting code, and to provide a lilo Windows option.