[syslinux] PXELINUX booting delays with dual Ethernet ports

[H. Peter Anvin]

Ole Holm Nielsen wrote:
> Luciano Miguel Ferreira Rocha wrote:
>>> We're using PXELINUX for bootstrapping the network install our Linux cluster
>>> nodes.  We just got some new IBM 326m dual-Opteron servers with Broadcom
>>> NetXtreme BCM5780 dual-Gigabit Ethernet ports.
>>>
>>> These dual-Ethernet servers work in an annoying way with PXELINUX when we
>>> configure for booting from the local hard disk as the PXE-client downloads
>>> this file from the DHCP/TFTP server:
>>>
>>> label harddisk
>>>    localboot 0
>> That tells the bios to continue to the next device. If you want to force
>> harddisk boot, use chain.c32 instead. (chain hd0, i believe.)
> 
> Interesting observation !  This, however, contradicts the FAQ
> http://syslinux.zytor.com/faq.php which says:
>    On PXELINUX, specifying "LOCALBOOT 0" instead of a "KERNEL" option means
>    invoking this particular label will cause a local disk boot instead of
>    booting a kernel.
> 
> Could you kindly specify in exact detail the SYSLINUX configuration
> file for forcing an immediate boot from hard disk (say, Linux /dev/sda)
> in stead of the above "LOCALBOOT 0" ?  I find the FAQ too dense for my
> (lack of) understanding.
> 

On a properly working BIOS "localboot 0" should boot the next device in 
the BIOS boot priority list.

To boot a specific device, use chain.c32:

label harddisk
	kernel chain.c32
	append hd0

	-hpa