[K12OSN] Support for Etherboot on 486's with ISA NICs

[Alberto Castillo]

2007/7/2, Doug Simpson <simpsond at leopards.k12.ar.us>:
>
> I was referring to booting with Etherboot floppies like you can get from
> Rom-O-Matic. These have always worked for me in the past, but not at all in
> 6.0.0.
>
> One one particular one, for example, it boots from the floppy, (normal)
> gets an IP via DHCP, (normal) loads the kernel, (normal) and then fails with
> the "kernel panic" because it can't load the NIC.  I know how to configure
> for that and it is done, but it doesn't work. There is a 3com card in there
> and the option lines are configured, and the workstation has entries in the
> /etc/lts.conf to load the 3com card. like"NIC=3c509". And it doesn't
> work.  I have tried several different cards, adjusting the configs for each
> but to no avail.


Hi!
Remember that in 6.0 k12 refers their dhcpd.conf that dhcpd-k12ltsp.conf or
something  that .


It says:
>
> ERROR! Could not automatically detect the network card.
> input:ImPS/2 Generic Wheel Mouse as /class/input/input1
> PCI cards. . .etc.etc.etc
> Usually specified in option-129, in the
> /etc/dhcpd.conf file. See . . . docs for info. . .
>
> Kernel Panic - not syncing: Attempting to kill init!


Just see in /etc/dhcpd-k12ltsp.conf....
Other thing: with boot it etherboot, in the first lines, before de dots, see
the correct address like: 0x300 or other particular address that offer your
ether-nic and copy to the dhcp conf file.

I have the option-129 line set correctly.


see in dhcp-k12ltsp.conf.....

I have the right computer name set in dhcpd.conf and also in the
lts.conffor this particular workstation.
>
> All to no avail.
>
> Thanks for the reply. . .
>
> Doug
> Doug Simpson
> Technology Specialist
> De Queen Public Schools
> De Queen, AR
> simpsond at leopards.k12.ar.us
> >>> "James P. Kinney III" <jkinney at localnetsolutions.com> 07/02/07 11:50
> AM >>>
> Doug,
>
> Once you get into antique hardware :) the rules change. PXE and
> etherboot were not around at that time (I don't think) so getting them
> to work is a serious challenge. The most used process is to have some
> other method of booting available (floppy or CD or even a hidden flash
> card with an IDE adapter.)
>
> Some really old stuff _may_ be able to netboot _if_ the add-on network
> card has a boot rom AND the mainboard is able to handle that. You would
> need to have the "corporate" pc's as the home user style would not have
> the BIOS capability.
>
> By the time you get to an ide-flash adapter plus flash card you are
> halfway to a new, tiny thin client that is very low power and fanless.
> The power savings alone would cover the additional cost over a couple of
> years. Plus desktop real estate is at a premium as well.
>
> On Mon, 2007-07-02 at 09:27 -0500, Doug Simpson wrote:
> > Hey guys!
> >
> > Has support for 486 computers and ISA NICs been dropped from K12LTSP?
> > I have been unable to get it to work with many different NICs and
> several computers.
> >
> > When you say use "old hardware" I take that to mean "old hardware". Some
> of the stuff they talk about on there as being "old hardware" is generations
> newer than the newest stuff I have.
> >
> > Being able to "just upgrade the server" when you need newer stuff,
> should be just that. There are a lot of 486s that work great as terminal
> clients, but if they will no longer work, there goes the ability to use "old
> hardware" which really puts poor people like me at a disadvantage.
> >
> > I have ran versions from 3.x and up and have been very satisfied.
> Install, and within a few minutes, I can usually get the "old hardware"
> working. A few more minutes and I can get sound working (usually).
> >
> > Hasn't happened yet with version 6.0.0.
> >
> > Could it be simple as making it boot a slightly older kernel than 2.6.x?  Will
> 2.4.x work on a 486 where 2.6.x won't?
> >
> > Getting thin on top. . .
> >
> > Doug
> >
> > Doug Simpson
> > Technology Specialist
> > De Queen Public Schools
> > De Queen, AR
> > simpsond at leopards.k12.ar.us
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > K12OSN at redhat.com
> > https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/k12osn
> > For more info see <http://www.k12os.org>
> >
> --
> James P. Kinney III
> CEO & Director of Engineering
> Local Net Solutions,LLC
> 770-493-8244
> http://www.localnetsolutions.com
>
> GPG ID: 829C6CA7 James P. Kinney III (M.S. Physics)
> <jkinney at localnetsolutions.com>
> Fingerprint = 3C9E 6366 54FC A3FE BA4D 0659 6190 ADC3 829C 6CA7
>
>
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