[SOLVED] Can I use cifs shares with netboot?

[gmc]

Greetings.

I would like to use a network share to access image files for netbooting PXE clients.  I currently connect to the NAS server from the PXE server using cifs.  This is done at boot time using the proper command in the bootlocal file and is working fine.

Is it possible to use the mounted share from the NAS server for PXE clients?  For example, on the NAS server I have the share:

//192.168.0.7/Disk 1

and the local mount point is:

/mnt/disk1

On NAS Disk 1 I have a directory named tftpboot, containing the various image directories and files.  I tried using a symlink in /netboot pointing to a specific shared directory on the NAS server but that did not work.

Any tips, pointers, advice welcome, even if it is just to let me know that this won't work.

[curaga]

So to recap, you want to keep the files in /mnt/disk1/netboot instead of /netboot?

That directory is specified in the start command for the TFTP server, so you should be able to edit that to point to where-ever needed.

[gmc]

So to recap, you want to keep the files in /mnt/disk1/netboot instead of /netboot?

That directory is specified in the start command for the TFTP server, so you should be able to edit that to point to where-ever needed.

That did it!  It works great.  Better than great.  Awesome!  Perfect!  Delightful!

Thank You!!!

This is the capstone, the final piece of the puzzle, the exclamation mark at the end of the sentence!  This solves my problem with lack of storage space on the thin client PXE server (now there's an oxymoron for you - a thin client acting as a server!) and the slow backup times at restart/shutdown and the extra write cycles on the flash drive, etc.

I am now using my NSLU2 NAS server to supply the PXE boot images to the PXE clients through an HP/Neoware thin client PXE server with only 113MB of available flash drive storage and 248MB of available RAM, using a 400MHz Atom processor.  And PXE boots are fast.

I learn best by example, and this step-by-step process has taught me a lot.  Thanks to all of you for your wonderful support.  I've said it before, I'll say it again.  This is the finest support forum I have every encountered.

P.S.  I'm sure that some readers here will know that the NSLU2 can be re-imaged with 3rd party software that allows it to act as a PXE server directly (and much, much more!).  I have chosen not to go this route for a couple of reasons.
1.  The NSLU2 is no longer available in the retail marketplace.  If something goes wrong with the process I could end up with a brick instead of a server.  I don't have the money to go out and buy a new NAS server.
2.  If something were to go wrong, I don't want to lose access to the terabytes of data on that server.
3.  It just works.  It is very reliable.  So why mess with something that just sits in the background and does what it is suppoed to do?

Have a great day!

Glen

[genec]

I tried using a symlink in /netboot pointing to a specific shared directory on the NAS server but that did not work.

As I already told you here, it depends.  It's not uncommon for this to occur.

[gmc]

I tried using a symlink in /netboot pointing to a specific shared directory on the NAS server but that did not work.

As I already told you here, it depends.  It's not uncommon for this to occur.

Yes, I remembered your posting.  I did not expect it to work right off but had to give it a try.  Making the path change in the server start-up was a much better way for me to go.