[syslinux] PXE Hanging

[Peter Lister]

> The Terminal (a Netier NetXpress XL2000) has a m-systems Disk-On-Chip 2000 
> flash memory module which is normally used to boot a cut-down version of 
> WinNT.  I work in a repair department where we often have to open up these 
> terminals and temporarily install a hard-drive to reflash the disk-on-chip 
> based firmware so I was hoping to make repairs easier by netbooting then 
> reflashing over the network.
> 
> These terminals have PXE compatible network bios and are based on Pentium 
> technology. They boot linux correctly using PXELINUX if the flash memory is 
> disabled but when enabled PXELINUX gets as far as loading the kernel, 
> displays a 'ready' message then hangs. It does the same when using memtest86 
> as kernel image (works without flash, hangs with it). Is this a known problem 
> and is there a way I can patch your source to avoid the problem ( the flash 
> memory simulates an IDE device but may be using some memory your loader 
> needs?). 

The issues of DoC has appeared on the LinuxBIOS and Etherboot lists;
loading something in the wrong place doesn't seem like a problem until
you actually try to tun the image. I quote loader.S from the Etherboot
source...

/* This provides for execution at 0x88000 to avoid disk-on-chip drivers */
#undef	NOT_AT_0x9xxxx
#if	(RELOC & 0xF0000) != 0x90000
#define NOT_AT_0x9xxxx
#else
#define	MAX_SP	((RELOC & 0xF0000) + 0x10000 - RELOC)
/* e.g. RELOC = 0x84000, MAX_SP = 0x90000 - 0x84000 = 0xC000 */
#endif

You can get a PXE-loadable Etherboot image from rom-o-matic. I can't
recall what the appropriate switch is; you'll probably need to look at
the configure options and possibly the source.

http://etherboot.sourceforge.net/
http://www.rom-o-matic.com/