RE: Netbooting Sparc from i386 server
On Mon, 22 Nov 1999, CHAUMARAT Gilles wrote:
> > I just discovered I can netboot my Sparc IPX from the tftp 2.2.1 image.
> > I installed slink onto an NFS-root filesystem. Now I can't quite figure
> > out how to boot it.
>
> You need a RARP server to provide the IP address for the sparc (on the same
> subnet), a TFTP server to provide the kernel and a NFS server to serve the root
> (and other) filesystem. The NFS server can be hosted on a different machine. I
> did not check if the RARP and TFTP server could be on different hosts (it
> should), but the most common case is to have the 3 on the same host.
I have these. I booted the tftp install image and I installed the base
system on NFS.
>
> > I have tftp enabled in inetd.conf, and I have a /etc/bootptab file that
> > LOOKS like (according to the man page) to be set up properly. However,
> > tftp boot hangs at this point, and if I comment out my machine's entry it
> > boots to dbootstrap, no matter anything I try on the Sparc console.
>
> TFTP and BOOTP are different things. I know Sun's prom handles TFTP. I don't
> know if it handles BOOTP too.
It doesn't seem to handle the bootp I set up, so I won't bother to use it.
> The first step is to provide a RARP server. If this server is under Linux, you
> need RARP in the kernel. If it's in a module, load it. Then you have to give the
> Internet address for your Sparc's MAC (ethernet) address to the IP stack:
>
> rarp -s Sparc_IP(what you like) Sparc_MAC(0800200CDC80)
>
> The second step is to configure the TFTP server for the kernel. You should have
> a line like that in your /etc/inetd.conf, uncomment it if necessary.
>
> tftp dgram udp wait root /usr/sbin/tcpd in.tftpd
>
> If you don't provide any further argument to the tftpd, the TFTP root will be
> /tftpboot. In this directory, put the kernel for the sparc and make a link to it
> named 0800200CDC80 (Sparc_MAC). This kernel must have support for NFS_ROOT
> (which is available with IP_PNP).
I'm compiling a kernel with NFS_ROOT (and rarp and bootp support, JIC),
should be done in a few hours (Sparc IPX, 20MB memory)
> The third step is to export a Sparc tree (Sparc_root_path). You'll have to
> change a few things in this tree for netboot. Be careful not to mount any local
> / in the etc/fstab. I do it with NFS_Server_IP_addr:Sparc_root_path / nfs
> defaults 1 0. You'll have to change a few things in init scripts to have a
> complete and correct shutdown.
I'll double-check everything there. I'd hazard that I need to look at
where it wants to mount and unmount, or fsck something.
> The Sun's boot command is :
>
> boot net nfsroot=(NFS_Server_IP_addr):(Sparc_root_path)
>
> A so configured SS4 boots in 2 minutes on a 10Mb/s lan (about 30sec for the
> Sun's diags, 30sec for initial RARP and Kernel TFTP and startup, and 1 min for
> the system init).
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