Found it! You can load initrd using pxelinux. See the sample config file below: You will need the ltsp initrd kit to build your own kernel.
default linux label linux kernel bzImage.ltsp append load_ramdisk=1 initrd=initrd.gz network nfsroot=192.168.1.253:/opt/ltsp/i386 NIC=eepro100 root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc rw -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Brady A. Johnson Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 11:11 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [Ltsp-discuss] (Not) tagging kernels for Etherboot >> I want to compile my own kernel for LTSP 3. I am using PXE booting, so I do >> not want to tag the kernel for Etherboot. However, I still need to add the >> initrd to the kernel, right? I was looking at the buildk script in >> ltsp_initrd_kit, and it calls mknbi-linux to add the initrd image as well as >> tag the kernel for Etherboot. How would I go about adding initrd part >> without tagging the kernel for Etherboot? > >It appears to be a commonly held misconception that PXE is somehow an >alternative to Etherboot: PXE cannot - by design - load an OS directly; >there must be an intermediate "Network Bootable Program". Marty Connor's >http://www.ltsp.org/documentation/pxe.howto.html explains how to run >Etherboot from PXE. > >Why do you object to tagging the kernel? Part of the raison d'etre of >mknbi-linux is precisely that it is a way to add parameters and an >initrd to a kernel (the tagging actually informs the NBI code loader how >to load the initrd). If NBI tagging really offends you for some reason, >pxelinux can tftp an initrd, but I see no advantage in using pxelinux >when the ltsp scripts use Etherboot (and the disadvantage that pxelinux >can't boot from a floppy, LILO, flash memory, etc). I'm not opposed to using Etherboot or offended by it. I want to use PXE because: 1. All of my clients have PXE, and my LTSP environment is set up to use PXE. Everything works (I am using pxelinux as the bootloader), I just want to build and use my own kernel. 2. It is not feasible to "install" Etherboot on my clients. They are ThinkNICs, have no floppy drive, and I don't want to mess with custom boot ROMs. I could play around with making a boot CD, but why? 3. I have read the PXE HOWTO you referenced, but am kind of turned off by having to tag different kernels for different network chips. I know I only have one client type right now, but when I get more (with PXE) I don't want to have to worry about which ones use which chipsets. With PXE, I don't have to worry about it, nor do I have to maintain a bunch of different NIC-specific Etherboot-tagged kernels. Based on my (admittedly limited) knowledge of LTSP, I have concluded that if you have PXE clients, using PXE offers some real advantages. Enough that I decided to use it. Differing opinions, ideas, or insights are welcome. _____________________________________________________________________ Ltsp-discuss mailing list. To un-subscribe, or change prefs, goto: https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/ltsp-discuss For additional LTSP help, try #ltsp channel on irc.openprojects.net _____________________________________________________________________ Ltsp-discuss mailing list. To un-subscribe, or change prefs, goto: https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/ltsp-discuss For additional LTSP help, try #ltsp channel on irc.openprojects.net
