Tiny Core Linux

General TC => General TC Talk => Topic started by: Len on December 13, 2012, 02:38:14 PM

Title: Net Boot vs CD ISO issue
Post by: Len on December 13, 2012, 02:38:14 PM
Hello,

I've recently assembled 2 low power systems which I'd like to net boot with TCL, but have run into some issues.  I've searched around but have had no luck in finding related posts.

1. Booting TCL 4.7 from CD and selecting the first entry in the boot menu seems to be fine.  I can launch the appbrowser, connect, select, and install apps.  I was able to install Chrome, ALSA sound, GetFlash and connect to Pandora to listen to streaming music.

2. I copied the necessary files from the ISO and configured my tftp server.  When I reboot the machine and select to net boot, the desktop is rendered and mouse moves, but I can't seem to launch the appbrowser, nor any other application from the menu bar except the terminal.  However, the terminal is missing its title bar and stuck in the upper left corner of the screen.

Is there some funkiness with timing with optical drive spinning up causing a delay that allows for my system to "be happy" that's not happening during the net boot?

My optical drive is only temporarily connected to this system, as I'd prefer to net boot only -- any suggestions on where to look for debugging this problem?

Thanks!

Len

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contents of my default pxe configuration:
LABEL tinycore
kernel tinycore_4.7/vmlinuz
append initrd=tinycore_4.7/core.gz tz=PST+8PDT,M3.2.0/2,M11.1.0/2 tftplist=XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX:/tinycore_4.7/xbase.lst
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contents of my xbase.lst:
/tinycore_4.7/extensions/Xvesa.tcz
/tinycore_4.7/extensions/Xlibs.tcz
/tinycore_4.7/extensions/Xprogs.tcz
/tinycore_4.7/extensions/flwm_topside.tcz
/tinycore_4.7/extensions/wbar.tcz
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Title: Re: Net Boot vs CD ISO issue
Post by: gerald_clark on December 13, 2012, 02:51:03 PM
Read the netboot wiki article.
Title: Re: Net Boot vs CD ISO issue
Post by: Rich on December 13, 2012, 02:51:45 PM
Hi Len
I think you may also need  fltk-1.1.10.tcz
Title: Re: Net Boot vs CD ISO issue
Post by: Len on December 13, 2012, 03:23:32 PM
@gerald_clark: I've already through the wiki on netbooting (I should've mentioned that in my original post) -- is there a particular section that I should re-read?  Is there a different wiki netbooting article than this (wiki.tinycorelinux.net/wiki:netbooting) one?

@Rich: Wow, I don't know how I missed that. fltk-1.1.10.tcz exists in my tftp directory but is missing in my xbase.lst file.  I will make the change when I get home tonight and see if that fixes my problem.


Len
Title: Re: Net Boot vs CD ISO issue
Post by: gerald_clark on December 13, 2012, 03:27:46 PM
If you want persistent storage, you may want an nfs share to hold installed packages.  These can include all the GUI extensions you are now including in the tftplist.
I just wanted to be sure you saw this as an option.
Title: Re: Net Boot vs CD ISO issue
Post by: Len on December 13, 2012, 09:18:01 PM
@gerald_clark: thanks for the suggestion.  Since my tftp server was already providing the boot images, I just wanted to keep it simple and install the extensions via tftplist boot command.  Now that I'm thinking about a persistent /home /opt, I might go ahead and configure an NFS on my main server as well.

@Rich: the missing fltk-1.10.tcz in my .lst file *WAS* the problem!  I knew it was probably a SIMPLE problem.

Thanks, guys!

Len