[Etherboot-users] re: netboot problem (update: solved in a fashion)

[Peter L. Peres]

I managed to first use netboot-0.8.1 from Suse 6.1 (~1998) to generate a 
floppy image for ne2000 generic (my target uses a rtl8019 (as) nic card), 
running on a 2.2.16 suse kernel (it would not build on a 2.4 kernel). In 
addition to working right out of the box, the rom image fits in 16k 
instead of 32k needed by etherboot and modern (0.9.8) netboot rom images.

Then I managed to compile netboot-0.8.1 (including roms) on the same suse 
6.1 machine (2.2.16 kernel), but only after getting a modern (not 
contemporary with suse 6.1, the tools supplied with suse 6.1 failed to 
build the netboot package, esp wrong as86 version) version of linux86 
devtools (as86, bcc etc), namely linux86-0.16.14 and compiling and 
installing it on the old suse machine. Then I had to fix several errors in 
netboot-0.8.1 assembly files (duplicate labels and wrong or obsolete bcc 
and as86 options).

I can now boot 'old' clients with cheap isa nics from a more modern 
server, and I can build my own roms (I need small modifications, like try 
again forever on error and some hardware initialisation).

This confirms that the problem with netboot-0.9.8 is software. I was never 
able to make a rom image that booted a floppy, regardless of the source 
floppy I used or the target nic or the machine used (including not the one 
I used with 0.8.1 above, which worked immediately). Network transfer and 
dhcp/arp resolution works but no image is run (I tried 4 different dos 
floppy images).

Finding the correct package versions was painful and un-debian-like since 
the dependency listing (f.ex. for the netboot package) on the debian.org 
package listings does not mention the dependencies. There should really be 
a list of things that work with each other, at the netboot or etherboot 
project sites imho.

Again:

knoppix hd install/debian testing/unstable, with gcc3.3.3 was unable to 
build a working rom floppy using etherboot for rtl8019 target nic, the 
floppy causing hang on boot when built from source and wrong image message 
when using the version from rom-o-matic. I had to revert to netboot-0.9.8 
which also failed to compile and then to 0.8.1 which worked as binary and 
could be compiled after some debugging.

Comments are welcome,

Peter
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