[syslinux] Debugging gPXE -> PXELinux -> LTSP

[Peter Russell]

On Thu, 2008-02-14 at 13:52 +0100, Geert Stappers wrote:
> Op 06-02-2008 om 09:27 schreef Peter Russell:
> > Hi,
> > 
> > I'm investigating using LTSP for thin clients at my place of work, and
> > I've encountered a problem that I don't know how to approach.  I don't
> > know if the problem is with gPXE, PXELinux, or the LTSP kernel, but I
> > think PXELinux is probably the right level to investigate it.
> > 
> > My situation is as follows:
> > 
> > I've installed the LTSP system from Ubuntu Gutsy.  I've tested it with
> > an HP t5530 dedicated thin client, which has PXE network booting and
> > this works fine.  The LTSP image boots, and connects to the server with
> > ssh as expected.
> > 
> > I've then gone on to test with an old PC.  This machine doesn't have a
> > network boot ROM, and so I've downloaded gPXE from git, and built a boot
> > CD.  Now as far as I can determine, gPXE is working fine, it gets itself
> > a DHCP lease, and loads PXELinux from the tftp server.  It then goes on
> > to print:
> > 
> > Loading vmlinuz...... aborted.
> > boot:
> 
> Seems like an error in PXELINUX
> (PXELINUX is the one that is loading vmlinux,
> the 'boot:' prompt is also from PXELINUX )

Sadly we've had to cancel our LTSP project, so I'm no longer too
concerned about this, but FYI I later switched the network card in the
old PC for a 3COM 3C905 with a built in PXE ROM, and PXELinux worked
fine.  That suggests to me that it's a conflict between gPXE and
PXELinux.

> > I need to know what's causing the boot to fail.  I know that this
> > machine is capable of running Linux, as I've run an Ubuntu live CD on
> > it.  Is there any way that I can get more information out of PXELinux,
> > such as the size of the kernel that it's downloaded, or what has caused
> > it to abort?
> 
> I guess it is the amount of RAM in the old PC.
> (as the setup works with the HP t5530)

When I said old, it's old in terms of desktop hardware, but far from
ancient.  It has 256 MB of RAM, and a PIII processor.

> Geert Stappers
> Feeling sorry for not being able to tell how to activate output in PXELINUX 

Yeah, I guess debugging in this sort of minimal environment is pretty
difficult.

Peter
-- 
Peter Russell
Web Developer
Leeds University Union

(t) 0113 3801218
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