Tiny Core Linux

General TC => General TC Talk => Topic started by: hereblur on June 16, 2011, 10:08:02 AM

Title: Weird things when boot with PXE
Post by: hereblur on June 16, 2011, 10:08:02 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

Title: Re: Weird things when boot with PXE
Post by: curaga on June 16, 2011, 12:16:28 PM

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.

Title: Re: Weird things when boot with PXE
Post by: gerald_clark on June 16, 2011, 05:08:23 PM

http://wiki.tinycorelinux.net/wiki:netbooting

Title: Re: Weird things when boot with PXE
Post by: genec on June 21, 2011, 12:20:57 PM

Quote from: curaga on June 16, 2011, 12:16:28 PM

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).