[syslinux] Network Loading of freeBSD

[Karl Rothenhöfer]

I have spent a couple of days and quite some time during the nights googling
and experimenting in pursuing subject objective and I feel like failing, if
I cannot get competent help:


My objective: boot a FreeBSD-package over the network by Systems lacking
HW-Support for PXE



My Testconfiguration:

Server IBM-PC300

Client Siemes Fujitsu ErgoPro with freeBSD6.0 installed

Network card in client intel82558, which I believe to be sufficiently equal
with 82559er  (hence covered by eepro100) when producing the boot-floppy



Status achieved:

# Bootfloppy on ErgoPro boots Etherboot

# Etherboot loads pxelinux.0

# Pxelinux loads pxe.cfg/00:10:DC:0E:3F:31

# Pxelinux completely loads pxeboot.0

# ErgoPro stops without additional signs of life (exitus)



More Details:

# Bootfloppy prepared with www.rom-o-matic.net/5.4.1 producing eepro100.zdsk

# pxelinux taken off syslinux-3.06

# more /usr/local/etc/dhcpd.conf (respective part of it)

host ErgoPro2 {

  hardware ethernet 00:10:DC:0E:3F:31;

  fixed-address 192.168.200.5;

  filename "pxelinux.0";

  next-server 192.168.200.103;

  option root-path "/tftpboot";

}

# more /tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/01:00:10:DC:0E:3F:31

DEFAULT freebsd

LABEL freebsd

        KERNEL pxeboot.0



# results on screen of ErgoPro

Etherboot 5.4.1 (GPL) http://etherboot.org

Drivers: EEPRO100 Images: NBI ELF FreeBSD a,out PXE Exports PXE

Protocols: DHCP TFTP

Relocating _text from: [00010420,00024470] to [0feebfb0,0ff00000)

Boot from (N)etwork of (Q)uit? N



Probing pci nic


[eepro100]Ethernet addr: 00:10:DC:0E:3F:31

Searching for server (DHCP)...\

ME: 192.168.200.5, DHCP: 192.168.200.103, TFTP: 192.168.200.103, Gateway
192.168.200.1

Loading 192.168.200.103:pxelinux.0 (PXE)done



PXELINUX 3.06 2005-01-10 Copyright (C) 1994-2005 H. Peter Anvin

UNDI data segment at: 0009E000

UNDI data segment size: 1000

UNDI code segment at: 0009F000

UNDI code segment size: 0AB0

PXE entry point found (we hope) at 9F00:0680

My IP address seems to be C0A8C805 192.168.200.5

Ip=192.168.200.5:192.168.200.103:192.168.200.1:255.255.255.0

TFTP prefix:

Trying to load: pxelinux.cft/01-00-10-dc-0e-3f-31

....

Exitus i.e. PC does no longer  act nor react



# results at the serial console

Etherboot 5.4.1 (GPL) http://etherboot.org

Drivers: EEPRO100   Images: NBI ELF FreeBSD a.out PXE   Exports: PXE

Protocols: DHCP TFTP

Relocating _text from: [00010420,00024470) to [0feebfb0,0ff00000)

Boot from (N)etwork or (Q)uit? N



Probing pci nic...

[eepro100]Ethernet addr: 00:10:DC:0E:3F:31

Searching for server (DHCP)...\

Me: 192.168.200.5, DHCP: 192.168.200.103, TFTP: 192.168.200.103, Gateway
192.168

.200.1

Loading 192.168.200.103:pxelinux.0 (PXE)done



# results of ethereal trace

Ethereal trace shows reception of

pxelinux.0: 24 packets 512 Bytes data each + 1 packet 176 Byte data
everything well acknowledged

pxelinux.cfg/01:00:10:DC:0E:3F:31: 2 packets containing proper data
everything well acknowledged

pxeboot.0: 420 packets 512 Bytes data each + 1 packet 0 Byte data everything
well acknowledged

After this no further activities of client ErgoPro are traced anymore,
especially no further load request for additional data



I know, that my above story is very similar to “[syslinux] run FreeBSD
"pxeboot" from pxelinux.0?” in the syslinux mailing list of 2003. But there
the problem disappeared by magic with a new release of pxelinux, which
meanwhile became obsolete. So the results have not been helpful for me.
Hope desparately, that somebody can help me.


Regards
Karl