AW: [syslinux] Network Loading of freeBSD

[Karl Rothenhöfer]

Hello Geert,

thank you for your kind remarks. I have not made further progress on subject
matter. I added some remarks to what you have written. 

Regards 
Karl

> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: syslinux-bounces at zytor.com [mailto:syslinux-bounces at zytor.com] Im
> Auftrag von Geert Stappers
> Gesendet: Dienstag, 20. Dezember 2005 11:37
> An: syslinux at zytor.com
> Betreff: Re: [syslinux] Network Loading of freeBSD
> 
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> 
> Smile
> 
> On Mon, Dec 19, 2005 at 07:43:06PM +0100, Karl Rothenhöfer wrote:
> > 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
> 
>      <snip> good report </snip>
I tried to do my best, because subject matter is important for me.
> 
> > 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
>   Trying to load: pxelinux.cfg/01-00-10-dc-0e-3f-31
> >
> > ....
> >
> > Exitus i.e. PC does no longer  act nor react
> >
> >
> >
> > # results at the serial console
>     <snip> etherboot </snip>
> > 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
> 
>  ( output stops because pxelinux.0 isn't aware of the serial console )
This may well be. But I don't know how to make absolutely shure, that it
becomes aware. When producing the Etherboot floppy I have requested that
both the serial console and the screen should be used. However this may not
ripple through to pxelinux and especially to pxeboot. And there I am lacking
knowledge: How does all the information, that has been collected before
pxeboot gets activated (hopefully), get transported to pxeboot finally?
At the end it may fail to arrive at pxeboot and this may cause pxeboot to
crash.  

> 
> > # 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
> 
> My bet: the acknowledge is not seen by the ErgoPro
ErgoPro is client and hence sends the acknowlegements for the load packets
received. The trace really indicates that the client has well and completely
received pxeboot.0. The Problem must happen after successful reception.
> 
> > 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.
> >
> 
> AFAIK does EtherBoot do polling for recieving packets
> and does PXE depend on interrupts for recieving packets.
Those are internals of eepro100, that regrettably I don't know.
I can see the BIOS displays when ErgoPro starts up and those indicate,
that the BIOS wants to serve the NIC using interrupt 11.

> 
> Find out which interrupt line the NIC in the ErgoPro uses
> and which IRQ it is supposed to use.

Don' know how to find out what pxeboot really wants to use?

> 
> > Hope desparately, that somebody can help me.
> 
> Let us known how you are doing.
> (even if the topic goes to the etherboot mailinglist)
Yes I will do so. There must be people around, who have been
successfully doing, what I intent to do and I still hope for
additional helpful comments.

> 
> > Regards
> >
> > Karl
> 
> HtH
> GSt
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