[syslinux] Transform a normal boot on a network boot

Jan Engelhardt jengelh at linux01.gwdg.de
Wed May 25 13:32:54 PDT 2005


>Hello, there is a transparent and standard way to boot from the network,
>a media  that is bootable (cdrom, floppies) ?

Well, is this a question or a statement?

>It is possible to interpret the
>standard boot sector and use a network boot loader such as pxelinux or
>other, to tell where to find, and the proper way to load the correct files
>from the tftp server ?

You cannot use PXELINUX on a "hard disk boot sector", but probably others.

Or you can use LILO/GRUB/whatever, use a kernel stored on the local harddisk 
and start the netboot stage after the kernel has come up, i.e.  by using 
ip=dhcp, nfsroot= options.

>An example would be appreciated using "common" boot disks, for example the
>dos boot floppy obtained with format a: /s and the windows 2000 cdrom.

Etherboot, NILO, and a ton of others - you could try out; but they are all so 
old and unmaintained, since nowadays (almost) everyone has PXE on their 
network cards.


Jan Engelhardt
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