[syslinux] Newbie RIS Replacement

[Wise, Jeremey]

Doing a lot of RTFM lately about PXE. I have done xCAT builds but want
to take the voodo out of the process so I can control and understand the
whole system. I am new to PXE technology and so consider me ignorant.
The current server is a MS RIS server and I am attempting to migrate our
facility to use Linux / PXE instead.

First stage: take existing DOS bootnet floppy and convert to boot from
network via PXE. This will retain the current DOS menu structure for the
users to choose the ghost image. What I have done is read the user group
mail list archives for the last year. Learning a much but as usual, lots
of information in little tidbits. Here is what I believe I need to do
and have tried.

1) install mtools and syslinux-2.08-1
2) install and configure tftp and dhcp
	a) tftp works fine in tests
	b) dhcpd works fine and scope references 'filename
"/tftpboot/pxelinux.0";' to hand out pxe file
2) download a quick pxe prepared 2.88MB floppy
(http://www.fdos.org/ripcord/beta8h02/images/fd288mb.zip)
3) unzip the file (ramdskNT.img,newdos288.img)
4) mount my custom working ghostbootnet.img (mount -t vfat -oloop
ghostbootnet.img /mnt/floppy)
5) mount the DOS/vfat version of the 2.88MB floppy to shim in all the
files from my old floppy
	a)Is this last step correct?
	b)Why does it error? (mount -t vfat -oloop newdos288.img
/mnt/floppy/)
	c)Are their any additional steps required after the files are
copied over?
6) After I have the new pxe DOS boot file created I will need to
reference it in /tftp/pxelinux.cfg/default file as all hosts will get
this single file initially
	a) I believe the /tftp/pxelinux.cfg/default file syntax should
be "???KERNEL memdisk/memdisk APPEND initrd=? memdisk
/tftp/ghostbootnet.img "
	b) Missing some major pieces here as you can see.

Second Stage: Make the PXE menu to prompt the user for which image want.
(i.e. ghost image or start kickstart install)
1) modify /tftp/pxelinux.cfg/default to have new entry 'DISPLAY
menue.txt'
2) menue.txt example (stolen from various mailings:>)
**************
# menu options
PROMPT 1
DEFAULT 0
DISPLAY messages.txt
TIMEOUT 35996 # in 1/10 seconde ; maximum 35996
label 0
        LOCALBOOT 0
label 1 [ghost server]
        KERNEL memdisk/memdisk
        APPEND initrd=ghostsrever.img floppy
label 2 [ghost workstation]
        KERNEL memdisk/memdisk
        APPEND initrd=ghostworkstation.img
label 3 [base RH9 server install]
        kernel linux.os
	  append vga=791
	  initrd=linux.img 
	  splash=silent
	  quiet root=/dev/rd/0 
	  devfs=mount
	
**************
Is their a syslinux for beginners or some other reference materials for
doing some RTFM? Maybe a logic flow diagram for the process?

Thanks,

Jeremey