[syslinux] more on PXELinux confiuration file woes

[James Jeffers]

Relevant /var/log/messages:
Jun 12 12:49:00 taco in.tftpd[29001]: RRQ from 172.20.5.255 filename
pxelinux.0
Jun 12 12:49:05 taco in.tftpd[29002]: RRQ from 172.20.5.255 filename
pxelinux.0
Jun 12 12:49:05 taco in.tftpd[29003]: RRQ from 172.20.5.255 filename
pxelinux.cfg/1:0:2:55:7b:6:2a
Jun 12 12:49:08 taco in.tftpd[29004]: RRQ from 172.20.5.255 filename
linux.2.4.18-3.vmlinuz
Jun 12 12:49:08 taco in.tftpd[29005]: RRQ from 172.20.5.255 filename
linux.2.4.18-3.initrd.img

Boot screen:
PXELINUX 2.04 2003-04-16 Copyright (C) H. Peter Anvin
UNDI data segment at:         0008F940
UNDI data segment size: B450
UNDI data segment at:         0008AD90
UNDI data segment size: 30E0
PXE entry point found at (we hope) at: 9AD9:0160
My IP address seems to be AC1405FF 172.20.5.255
ip=172.20.5.255:172.20.0.1:172.20.0.1:255.255.0.0
TFTP prefix:
Trying to load: pxelinux.cfg/1:0:2:55:7b:6:2a
boot:
Loading linux.2.4.18-3.vmlinuz....................................
Loading linux.2.4.18-3.initrd.img...............................<lots more
of these>........
Ready.

And it stops right there. The machine isn't locked: I can toggle the caps
lock leds on the keyboard and using a CTRL-ALT-DEL to reset the machine (an
IBM x345 - intel based server).

If I rename the file 1:0:2:55:7b:6:2a to default, the boot proceeds without
any problems. If I rename my original default file to AC1405FF, the boot
proceeds. If I rename the original default to 1:0:2:55:7b:2a, same as the
above problem. Very perplexing.

I checked the packet captures. PXE requests TFTP for 9495 blocks of 1468
bytes (447 on the last one), and each one is received and ack'd.
Nothing fishy there, at least to my eyes.


James Jeffers
Software Engineer
e1350 Linux Cluster Development
(919) 254-6250
T/L 444-6250
<jamesjef at us.ibm.com>


                                                                                                                                                    
                      "H. Peter Anvin"                                                                                                              
                      <hpa at zytor.com>          To:       James Jeffers/Raleigh/Contr/IBM at IBMUS                                                      
                                               cc:       SYSLINUX at zytor.com                                                                         
                      06/11/2003 03:59         Subject:  Re: [syslinux] more on PXELinux confiuration file woes                                     
                      PM                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                    




James Jeffers wrote:
>
> I performed an experiment in which I had dhcpd specify a named file
("foo")
> instead of
> one based on a client's MAC address. Lo and behold, the same problem
> occured. The PXE
> stack requested and was served the right file, the kernel loaded as did
the
> initrd. But again, the
> boot sequence stopped at "Ready."
>
> Keep in mind that the contents of the file are the same as was in the
> "default" file, which when PXE clients
> requested and used, everything went very smoothly.
>

This is extremely odd... could you please send a *complete* list of
messages printed during boot?

             -hpa