Re: kernel environment between reboots, diskless
On Wed, 14 Jan 2004, Steve Watt wrote: > I'm trying to see if there's a way to get that information into the > loader (or the driver) in some way that doesn't require rewriting a file > in the flash every reboot, to avoid flash write cycles. > > I know there's some amount of NVRAM in PCs, but didn't spot anything > about how to get at it from the driver. It'd be nice, for this > sort of application, if there was a way to stash somewhere between > 2 and 8 bytes somewhere... many (most?) PCs don't clear RAM on soft reboot, so stuff like the message buffer survives. try mapping the same physical address, out of the way of other code, and leaving your data there. -- ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-hackers To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]"
Re: kernel environment between reboots, diskless
> > But I'll admit to not having gathered the data on that one, so I'll > > give it a closer look. If I PXE or etherboot, how would the kernel > > environment get populated then? i use a modified bootp that palces all the dhcp tags in the kernel environment see ftp://ftp.cs.huji.ac.il/users/danny/freebsd/diskless-boot/ or http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=61239 danny ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-hackers To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]"
Re: kernel environment between reboots, diskless
On Jan 14, 13:24, Brooks Davis wrote: } On Wed, Jan 14, 2004 at 01:16:01PM -0800, Steve Watt wrote: } > On Jan 14, 13:11, Brooks Davis wrote: } > } On Wed, Jan 14, 2004 at 12:55:49PM -0800, Steve Watt wrote: } > } > I'm working on a dataless system that will be booting and rooting } > } > from flash for some environmental chamber (thermal) tests, and } > } > logging the results to an NFS server outside the chamber. } > } } > } I've got to ask, if you're in an NFS environment, why boot from flash at } > } all? Why not PXE boot or use etherboot? } > } > I'm attempting to minimize reboot cycle time, since part of the test } > suite involves 50 reboots per card, and with 5 cards in the system, } > a minute extra boot time is suddenly four hours. } } Hmm, that might be an issue. If your network is reliable (and you } configure your switches so you don't get screwed by spanning tree), PXE } boots are quite fast, probably not more then a few seconds longer then } booting from local media (possiably less since you could disabling BIOS } probing of the media which takes forever.) It's going to be an isolated net, so it shouldn't be a problem on this part. } > But I'll admit to not having gathered the data on that one, so I'll } > give it a closer look. If I PXE or etherboot, how would the kernel } > environment get populated then? } } From the server. The advantage of this is that it would be easy to } script changes on the server as opposed to changes on the flash card. } You also don't need to worry about wearing out the server's disks. Ah! I see how that works. Only catch is, I'm getting a strange result when trying diskless boots. I've got the DHCP server configured as suggested in pxeboot(8), and I see the loader get started. It grabs (over NFS) loader.rc, loader.4th, and support.4th. I see the start word get executed, but adding .( message ) cr in various places, it seems like it's getting to the end of start, but not coming back to the loader.rc code. And most of my Forth knowledge is from working with PostScript 15 years ago, which doesn't help a lot. :P Anyone want to hazard a guess? I feel like I'm falling deeper into that maze of twisty little passages. -- Steve Watt KD6GGD PP-ASEL-IA ICBM: 121W 56' 57.8" / 37N 20' 14.9" Internet: steve @ Watt.COM Whois: SW32 Free time? There's no such thing. It just comes in varying prices... ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-hackers To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]"
Re: kernel environment between reboots, diskless
On Wed, Jan 14, 2004 at 01:16:01PM -0800, Steve Watt wrote: > On Jan 14, 13:11, Brooks Davis wrote: > } On Wed, Jan 14, 2004 at 12:55:49PM -0800, Steve Watt wrote: > } > I'm working on a dataless system that will be booting and rooting > } > from flash for some environmental chamber (thermal) tests, and > } > logging the results to an NFS server outside the chamber. > } > } I've got to ask, if you're in an NFS environment, why boot from flash at > } all? Why not PXE boot or use etherboot? > > I'm attempting to minimize reboot cycle time, since part of the test > suite involves 50 reboots per card, and with 5 cards in the system, > a minute extra boot time is suddenly four hours. Hmm, that might be an issue. If your network is reliable (and you configure your switches so you don't get screwed by spanning tree), PXE boots are quite fast, probably not more then a few seconds longer then booting from local media (possiably less since you could disabling BIOS probing of the media which takes forever.) > But I'll admit to not having gathered the data on that one, so I'll > give it a closer look. If I PXE or etherboot, how would the kernel > environment get populated then? From the server. The advantage of this is that it would be easy to script changes on the server as opposed to changes on the flash card. You also don't need to worry about wearing out the server's disks. -- Brooks -- Any statement of the form "X is the one, true Y" is FALSE. PGP fingerprint 655D 519C 26A7 82E7 2529 9BF0 5D8E 8BE9 F238 1AD4 pgp0.pgp Description: PGP signature
Re: kernel environment between reboots, diskless
On Jan 14, 13:11, Brooks Davis wrote: } On Wed, Jan 14, 2004 at 12:55:49PM -0800, Steve Watt wrote: } > I'm working on a dataless system that will be booting and rooting } > from flash for some environmental chamber (thermal) tests, and } > logging the results to an NFS server outside the chamber. } } I've got to ask, if you're in an NFS environment, why boot from flash at } all? Why not PXE boot or use etherboot? I'm attempting to minimize reboot cycle time, since part of the test suite involves 50 reboots per card, and with 5 cards in the system, a minute extra boot time is suddenly four hours. But I'll admit to not having gathered the data on that one, so I'll give it a closer look. If I PXE or etherboot, how would the kernel environment get populated then? -- Steve Watt KD6GGD PP-ASEL-IA ICBM: 121W 56' 57.8" / 37N 20' 14.9" Internet: steve @ Watt.COM Whois: SW32 Free time? There's no such thing. It just comes in varying prices... ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-hackers To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]"
Re: kernel environment between reboots, diskless
On Wed, Jan 14, 2004 at 12:55:49PM -0800, Steve Watt wrote: > Greetings, > > I'm working on a dataless system that will be booting and rooting > from flash for some environmental chamber (thermal) tests, and > logging the results to an NFS server outside the chamber. I've got to ask, if you're in an NFS environment, why boot from flash at all? Why not PXE boot or use etherboot? -- Brooks -- Any statement of the form "X is the one, true Y" is FALSE. PGP fingerprint 655D 519C 26A7 82E7 2529 9BF0 5D8E 8BE9 F238 1AD4 pgp0.pgp Description: PGP signature
kernel environment between reboots, diskless
Greetings, I'm working on a dataless system that will be booting and rooting from flash for some environmental chamber (thermal) tests, and logging the results to an NFS server outside the chamber. The problem is that the driver for the card under test only supports one card at a time. That's relatively easy to hack around by passing in a kernel environment varible from loader that indicates which PCI slot is OK. Then the probe routine of the driver looks for that variable and won't accept the device unless it matches. I'm trying to see if there's a way to get that information into the loader (or the driver) in some way that doesn't require rewriting a file in the flash every reboot, to avoid flash write cycles. I know there's some amount of NVRAM in PCs, but didn't spot anything about how to get at it from the driver. It'd be nice, for this sort of application, if there was a way to stash somewhere between 2 and 8 bytes somewhere... Thanks for insights! Pls cc: me directly on replies. -- Steve Watt KD6GGD PP-ASEL-IA ICBM: 121W 56' 57.8" / 37N 20' 14.9" Internet: steve @ Watt.COM Whois: SW32 Free time? There's no such thing. It just comes in varying prices... ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-hackers To unsubscribe, send any mail to "[EMAIL PROTECTED]"
