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Author Topic: Weird things when boot with PXE  (Read 2704 times)

Offline hereblur

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Weird things when boot with PXE
« on: June 16, 2011, 07:08:02 AM »
Hi guys,

I am new to tinycore, but familiar with others Linux distro

I just trying to remaster MicroCore for my PXE boot network.

I put the extensions in /tce/optional/... with the file "onboot.lst", 
everthings work perfect on VirtualBox with mounted ISO-image as a CD.
extensions loaded and install, directory /tce/optional mounted to /mnt/hda1

So I setup my debian server to serve DHCP and TFTP for PXE boot.

After get ip address It's download ISO to boot up.
but the extensions is not loaded. /tce/optional is not mounted.
so I cant neither manually or automatic intall extension with onboot.lst

The weird things is I modified the boot.msg to something else
and this shown up while booting with VirtualBox with mounted ISO-image as a CD

but on the PXE boot, It's show me an ORIGINAL tinycore boot message.

I verified many times to make sure that It's the same image, same files,no cache, no duplicate name.

I insert a dummy file to /home/tc and remaster for verify that's it the same image.
and the file is shown up to both system. so it's must be same iso-image.

Is it using different file for boot between CD and PXE?
and Is there's another way to install extensions with PXE boot?.

any suggest,please.

ps. I remaster using this method
http://wiki.tinycorelinux.net/wiki:integrating_extensions

and this is my pxeboot.cfg/default file

Quote

LABEL BlurPXE
    MENU LABEL BlurPXE
    kernel memdisk
    append iso
    initrd blurlinux.iso


Offline curaga

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Re: Weird things when boot with PXE
« Reply #1 on: June 16, 2011, 09:16:28 AM »
I don't know how good memdisk's emulation is. PXE is generally done directly and not via an iso, just boot the kernel and initramfs. I know people have similar trouble trying to use grub2's iso emulation instead of a direct boot.

In this scenario you'd either have the extensions on a server somewhere, remaster the main initramfs, or put them in additional initramfs archives (preferable). The last is documented in the wiki as Dynamic root filesystem remastering.
The only barriers that can stop you are the ones you create yourself.

Offline gerald_clark

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Offline genec

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Re: Weird things when boot with PXE
« Reply #3 on: June 21, 2011, 09:20:57 AM »
I don't know how good memdisk's emulation is.

Generally speaking, MEMDISK's emulation is fine but once you ignore the INT 13h routines, it's "lost".  There are utilities/methods to find it again.  Some distros make it easier to find than others.

However, I agree: It's better to just use the kernel/initrds directly.  Syslinux (which includes PXELINUX) is more than capable of handling multiple initrds.  I've personally been using this technique for over 3 years (even though I just switched to TinyCore Linux in the last few months).