[syslinux] Failing to fetch the PXELINUX config file

[H. Peter Anvin]

Curtis Doty wrote:
> 
> I know this is an old thread. But hopefully my comment is still on topic.
> 
> Here, I've found a related corner case that should deserve additional
> attention. If the pxelinux.0 filename is successfully loaded via tftp,
> but then the config file fails to match, it will fall through to a
> default kernel image. If that default kernel is not found, it will then
> hang indefinitely at the boot: prompt.
> 
> I don't speak asm but a quick glance at the code makes me think this is
> the bad_kernel case and is separate case from the reboottime. Maybe
> others still want the indefinite hang behavior on bad_kernel? But in my
> case where the network is more dynamic, I would like to see it reboot
> indefinitely until a *complete* setup is available on the network.
> 
> Is this possible with the existing PXELINUX or am I right in assuming
> that bad_kernel needs to be hacked to pause politely and then jump
> kaboom under these circumstances? If so, then the polite pause could use
> the reboottime value.
> 

I think the easiest would be to make not being able to fetch the 
configuration file a fatal error in pxelinux (as opposed to the 
filesystem-based ones.)  I don't think anyone uses pxelinux without a 
configuration file.

	-hpa