From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Oct 13 21:05:08 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1E2D116A421 for ; Sat, 13 Oct 2007 21:05:08 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from bsam@ipt.ru) Received: from mail.kuban.ru (mail.kuban.ru [62.183.66.246]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 722A313C46A for ; Sat, 13 Oct 2007 21:05:07 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from bsam@ipt.ru) Received: from bsam.ru ([85.172.12.174]) by mail.kuban.ru (8.9.1/8.9.1) with ESMTP id l9DL4kXq011070; Sun, 14 Oct 2007 01:04:57 +0400 (MSD) Received: (from bsam@localhost) by bsam.ru (8.14.1/8.14.1/Submit) id l9DL7fOS001785; Sun, 14 Oct 2007 01:07:41 +0400 (MSD) (envelope-from bsam@ipt.ru) X-Authentication-Warning: bsam.ru: bsam set sender to bsam@ipt.ru using -f To: "O. Hartmann" References: <470FA23C.6070507@zedat.fu-berlin.de> From: Boris Samorodov In-Reply-To: <470FA23C.6070507@zedat.fu-berlin.de> (O. Hartmann's message of "Fri\, 12 Oct 2007 18\:35\:08 +0200") User-Agent: Gnus/5.11 (Gnus v5.11) Emacs/22.1 (berkeley-unix) Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 01:07:31 +0400 Message-ID: <66220188@bsam.ru> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Howto: Prepare USB key with FreeDOS using FreeBSD X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 21:05:08 -0000 On Fri, 12 Oct 2007 18:35:08 +0200 O. Hartmann wrote: > Well, I have a bunch of TYAN S2925B based boxes, all without floppy > drives. For BIOS flash preparation I need an installation media and > due to the fact I do not have a Windows XP box or FreeDOS box I need > my laptop for creation of a bootable USB key media with the > appropriate BIOS flash images and flashing tools. > It seems to be a desaster. Every Wiki I visited looking for the > subject referes to Gentoo/FreeDOS or highly complicated voodoo > sessions installing first some files on floppy drive and the creating > a bootable USB key ... blabla. > Sorry, but I do not have FreeDOS running nor do I have Linux/Gentoo or > Windows XP, I run FreeBSD on all of my machines. But in the age of > legacy free computers, were floppy drives seems to be not essential > anymore I run into massif problems having a legacy free server from > TYAN without the ability taking any BIOS images from an USB key :-( > The problem is I picked up some memory issues which have been solved > with one of the newer BIOS images so I desperately need an update > solution. > Does anyone do have an idea? It is not an answer to your question. It's just how I do it. 1. Set up a dhcp server. In my case all servers are located at one hardware server. 2. Set up a tftp server. 3. Use pxelinux [1] to boot the needed binary. 1. Dhcp config (partial): ----- host temp1 { hardware ethernet ; fixed-address ; filename "pxelinux.0"; server-name "booting.domain.com"; next-server booting.domain.com; option host-name "temp1.domain.com"; } ----- 2. /tftpboot directory contains . a directory "pxelinux.cfg" with the config file "default" (partially): ----- default memtest prompt 5 timeout 30 label memtest kernel memtest86+-1.70 label 3ware kernel memdisk append initrd=3WARE-FLASH-9.4.0.1.DOS label ep kernel memdisk append initrd=EP-9HEAI.DOS label freebsd7 kernel pxeboot.0 ----- . file "pxelinux.0" [1]; . file "memdisk" [2] needed to load floppies with DOS images; . file "memtest86+-1.70" is an image of memtest floppy, good for testing new hardware; . file "3WARE-FLASH-9.4.0.1.DOS" is an image of DOS floppy with 3WARE updates; . file "EP-9HEAI.DOS" is an image of DOS floppy with flasher for the EP-9HEAI motherboard; . file "pxeboot.0" (renamed from pxeboot since pxelinux need it) is a real pxeboot to boot FreeBSD. One can choose what to boot while PXE-booting (use a label from the config file). I use one of those free DOS available at internet. To create the needed image: ----- # mdconfig -a -t vnode -f -u 0 # mount -t msdosfs /dev/md0 /mnt ----- Then copy the needed files to /mnt. Don't forget to do: ----- # umount /mnt # mdconfig -d -u 0 ----- That's it, here is a floppy image one can boot via PXE. Limitations: 1. I use only PXE-capable network cards. 2. An old flash image cannot be saved. [1] http://syslinux.zytor.com/pxe.php [2] http://syslinux.zytor.com/memdisk.php WBR and HTH -- bsam