[Techtalk] booting a diskless client

[Rudy Zijlstra]

Maria McKinley wrote:
> Rudy Zijlstra wrote:
>   
>> The big difference i see, is i am using a kernel with all needed 
>> immediate support compiled in. Not only the network aspects, but also 
>> the filesystems i need. Subsequently i am not using any initrd... The 
>> one diskless i am booting is slackware based, but normally slackware 
>> also uses an initrd. I normally compile my own kernels though, and make 
>> sure i need no initrd :)
>>
>> My pxe config file for the machine is:
>> ------------
>> default operational
>>
>> prompt 1
>> timeout 100
>> display tv-salon-msg.f1
>> F1 tv-salon-msg.f1
>> label operational
>>   kernel tv-salon-2.6.21.3
>>   append root=/dev/nfs rw,tcp 
>> nfsroot=192.168.1.1:/data/HomeData/hd-cd/pc-tv-salon2
>>   ipappend 1
>> label test-system
>>   kernel tv-salon-2.6.16.16
>>   append root=/dev/nfs rw,tcp 
>> nfsroot=192.168.1.1:/data/HomeData/hd-cd/pc-tv-salon2
>>   ipappend 1
>> label memtest
>>   kernel memtest86.img
>> ---------------
>>
>> This allows for some debug at need ;)
>>
>> For comparison here a netboot config for a machine which has its own 
>> disks but is using a diskconfig that both lilo and grub do not like:
>>
>> -----------------
>> default astra-2.6.19.1 noinitrd load_ramdisk=0 prompt_ramdisk=0 
>> root=/dev/md_d0p1 raid=part ro
>> prompt 1
>> timeout 1200
>> display astra.f1
>> F1 astra.f1
>> label slackware
>>  kernel sl-bzImage-2.6.18.2
>>  append initrd=sl-initrd.img-11.0 load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 
>> ramdisk_size=6464 rw root=/dev/ram raid=part
>>  ipappend 1
>> label system-2.6.18.2
>>  kernel sl-bzImage-2.6.18.2
>>  append noinitrd load_ramdisk=0 prompt_ramdisk=0 ro root=/dev/md_d0p1 
>> raid=part
>> label system-2.6.19.1
>>  kernel astra-2.6.19.1
>>  append noinitrd load_ramdisk=0 prompt_ramdisk=0 ro root=/dev/md_d0p1 
>> raid=part
>> label memtest
>>  kernel memtest86.img
>>
>> -------------------------
>>
>> I hope this helps
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Rudy
>>
>>
>>     
>
> Hmm, this sounds promising. Since I am compiling a kernel anyway, might 
> as well compile one so I don't need an initrd, snce this seems to be my 
> biggest headache. What all needs to be compiled into the kernel to 
> eliminate the initrd?
>
> cheers,
> maria
>   
Mostly support for the HDD drivers and the filesystems you are using.

Cheers,

Rudy