Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2008 16:41:34 -0800 From: "vincenzo romero" <new2xen@gmail.com> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: FreeBSD diskless workstation boot over Linux PXE server Message-ID: <13d67a800803031641k6530130eo99950591e9643483@mail.gmail.com>
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Thank you for the input from a couple of folks. After a few research and readings I am able to boot off a diskless client; and have a little error encountered. To clarify the environment: 1. PXE/DHCP/NFS/TFTP servers is a linux host 2. DHCP - server - dhcpd.conf file shows the following: (for my freeBSD diskless client testing scenario) filename "pxeboot"; next-server 192.168.16.5; option root-path "192.168.16.5:/export/images/freeBSD"; -- pxeboot is the freeBSD /boot/pxeboot file I copied over to my /tftpboot directory. -- next server IP is the PXE/TFTPD/DHCP server ... -- the NFS root is exported by the NFS server as such. .... The client seems to boot properly - acquires an IP address; downloads and reads the /tftpboot/pxeboot file; .... a message also appears that indicates it mounted the root File system: (snippet of console messages:) NFS ROOT: 192.168.16.5:/export/images/freeBSD nfe0: link state change to UP Interface nfe0 IP_Address 192.168.16.5 ... . . . . .. Loading Configuration files. rc.conf: not found No Suitable dump device was found . | etc. etc. IT seems like the root is mounted but it cannot find the rc.conf file; my root contains the following directories (including <nfsroot>/etc/rc.conf and <nfsroot>/etc/defaults/rc.conf ... freeBSD# ls bin boot dev etc home lib libexec sbin swap tmp usr var I must be missing something silly or apparent. Any help and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I have attempted to painstakingly google this issue, to no avail. thanks in advanced. On Sat, Feb 23, 2008 at 2:45 AM, Erik Norgaard <norgaard@locolomo.org> wrote: > vincenzo romero wrote: > > Hello, > > > > Am new to FreeBSD and relatively new to linux; I have a CentOS 5.1 > > PXE/tftpd/dhcpd server; I'd like it to be the build/PXE server where a > > bunch of 1U clients could PXE boot and run: > > > > 1. diskless over NFS-Root > > > > In googling, seems like there is a clone script that preps and lets > > you generate a root file system structure and let your clients boot > > off the network. > > I found the docs I could find on the internet way obsolete back in 2005 > when I played with it, and I am not aware that these has been updated. > > I wrote my own guide to make up for this, however, this may now also be > obsolete as it's been some time since I played with this. > > My main problem with diskless is that FreeBSD mounts memory backed > filesystems for /var and /tmp which waste a lot of precious RAM if you > have restricted memory. And a feature, useless in diskless operation, > prevents mounting /var and /tmp from a server. > > > > I checked the Free BSD Handbook (Chapter 29) where extensive > > documentation on setup is outlined, but it assumes that the > > PXE/TFTP/NFS/DHCPd servers are FreeBSD; mine is a CentOS; just want > > to support diskless PXE boot for my clients. > > > > Section 29.7.2.9.2 9Usning a Non-FreeBSD server - just indicates that > > do a tar/cpio of root; but ensure that special files in /dev are taken > > care of ... > > There is no problem serving files from a non-FreeBSD server, however > things are easier, as you need to build all applications served via NFS > for FreeBSD. This mainly affects you if you want diskless clients, you > need to keep these updated. For installation this is not a concern. > > The /dev is not a problem, the diskless client mounts a /dev locally, it > is not a real file system. > > > > - does anyone have this type of scenario setup? if so, can you please > > share with me your insights/cheat-sheet-how to? > > http://www.locolomo.org/pub/pxeboot/index.html > > > > - i'd be interested in understanding the setup of how you handled > > copying the /dev files into your exported ROOT directorty ... > > > > Are there any other recommendations ? > > If you want to do network installation rather than diskless, avoid NFS, > it is much easier to set up installation over ftp. > > Cheers, Erik > -- > Erik Nørgaard > Ph: +34.666334818 http://www.locolomo.org > -- best, Vince
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