Booting FreeBSD from PXE

[fk@fine.im.uec.ac.jp]

Now I can boot FreeBSD from PXE.
Here is a document for it.

--- cut here --- 
Booting FreeBSD from PXE (not smart)

step 1      load `pxelinux.bin'
step 2      load configuration file
step 3      load DOS .COM including etherboot ROM image
step 4      load FreeBSD kernel

pxelinux.bin is included in syslinux.
     ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/
     List of mirror of kernel.org:   http://www.kernel.org/mirrors/
Read pxelinux.doc for set up pxelinux.bin.
(pxelinux.bin can boot Linux kernel or execute DOS .COM file)

files example in TFTP directory
  pxelinux.bin
  pxelinux.cfg/C0A80101
  eepro100.com
  FreeBSD.kernel

% cat pxelinux.cfg/C0A80101
DEFAULT eepro100.com
%

Patch to etherboot is attached in the bottom of this document.
Etherboot `Config' example to boot FreeBSD ELF kernel.

CFLAGS+=	-DELF_IMAGE
CFLAGS+=	-DIGNORE_NAME=\"/pxelinux.bin\"
CFLAGS+=	-DDEFAULT_BOOTFILE=\"FreeBSD.kernel\"

# If boot file name is /pxelinux.bin, then ignore it and
# use FreeBSD.kernel as boot file name.

launch.com is used to make DOS .COM file.

begin 644 launch.com
0C,@%$0!0CMB.P+@&`%#+D```
`
end

make eepro100.com from eepro100.rom:
% cat launch.com eepro100.rom > eepro100.com

# launch.com is not limited to eepro100.rom, but 
# I cannot say it is usable for all .rom or not.

If eepro100.com cannot load FreeBSD kernel, try to change 
`512-offset' to `len-offset' in etherboot-4.4.3/src/osloaer.c.
( I use tftp-hpa-0.13, which is a tftpd with the large block extension.
  It seems that Intel BOOT Agent requires this extension. 
  But there is a problem with tftp-hpa-0.13 that sometimes many tftpd
  processes remain. )

extra ideas

idea 1 : modify pxelinux.bin to accept etherboot ROM image.
  If this is done, launch.com become needless.

idea 2 : modify pxelinux.bin to accept FreeBSD kernel.
  If this is done, patch to etherboot become needless.

idea 3 : modify etherboot to be accepted by PXE.
  If this is done, pxelinux.bin become needless.

# I have no intension to realize these ideas now.

begin 644 etherboot-4.4.3-pxe-0.1.patch.gz
M'XL(")#7N3@"`V5T:&5R8F]O="TT+C0N,RUP>&4M,"XQ+G!A=&-H`)53VVZ;
M0!!]-E\Q2OH`X6+P+0Z1*Q,#KE7?9!PU:1(A#$N]"@:T0),TZK]W%^+:L9I$
MY<&L=^:<F3ES"'`8@ER0*:!\C<@J27*YI;249CTC?GV0Q"'^H30;AU$Y?42O
M,SA9EM_GJ"W7!=AH!="$AJIK#;W5H`=5Y411_+A`S?'R$M[H@':JJQU=;57P
M?A_DLZ[4`9'^:BKT^QP<PR0A")(TQTGL11`B+R\(READ8(^-H2/V:K)I3)V1
MY0Q`-NWQ;#Z_IH>A?<4!)QZ#G1!@#8%-$+IP3`A)LH'YE<7']#+;>"076-X>
MW6@XG2TL=VI,K-[M49W.$.&X>%16.+X].L@U+=NX'"_=B]EL:8_&#/!22+E'
M)$810[!V61\>9(A@.H>?Q%D2(0D>UMA?@^_%0(H8<`RI1[PH0A$\X'P-@\5R
MF\LX9',PFSISRS(AP)FWBE``5&_*,_'N48@C!&LO@X>$W'LD*>(`0EIU.+T$
M>AO0!!^CV'\Z4,^Q%B-C[#+J&1W`O#3&9:7)]D9];(9=.-Y5[WWBMT>!"][U
MWL;#L>*_Z8LJ_*;KJG#-H=J4EJ.>:>L-36^??6RY+7;/;QV]W=%;G9W?NIHF
MG8+(7EJS=%R-/ANTR5#.>R3-F<8WQF+N#HVE]<VXOE/B)*!ZJQ)8RR_6PC5,
M<^$ZH^^6<`Y0/X&O.(J`(N&D7I'A$'C674I0&CW)GU>IRQ9UH]X)\%REL()^
M^L17AG%712C!/R`2:(VN<,[)):9*AA[L4.?4FSBD>X8]!W-BK6J#SW+B;])7
M5?;R!.&9PE%,U_D"`?C/&K__$D#U%_:&X_VU1^!$8!_*W#6-I5%J)\$VL)M8
M@@S_0DG9<>'GE1:!FPMT^)(R0#[=@DM"7VLWF_P!)16,`=R22Z'B_:1-2=P?
(SL?MFR0%````
`
end

% cd etherboot-4.4.3
% gzip -cd etherboot-4.4.3-pxe-0.1.patch.gz | patch -p1 -s

FUKUHARA Makoto <fk@fine.im.uec.ac.jp>
28 Feb. 2000
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