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diff --git a/contrib/Diskless-From-NT/Diskless-From-NT.txt b/contrib/Diskless-From-NT/Diskless-From-NT.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 54c2b746c..000000000 --- a/contrib/Diskless-From-NT/Diskless-From-NT.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,565 +0,0 @@ - - -The Diskless Terminal running from NT server Mini-HOWTO -Pavel Tkatchouk, ptkatcho@portal.ca -v0.1, June 19th 1999 - -Table of Contents - -1. Introduction. - - 1.1 What is it for? - 1.2 Do we need this HOWTO? - 1.3 A bit of History. - -2. Project description. - - 2.1 Packaging. - 2.2 Image. - 2.2.1 Kernel. - 2.2.2 MRFS. - 2.2.3 Building MRFS. - 2.3 Remotefs. - 2.4 Booting sequence. - 2.4.1 BOOTP, TFTP. - 2.5 Bootprom. - -3. Resources. - -4. Copyright. - -5. Feedback and credits. - - -1. Introduction. - - -1.1. What is it for? - -This document describes how to build software distribution to run Java client on diskless -terminal booted from Microsoft Windows 95/98/NT workstation. Package can also be easily -modified to be used as Linux terminal or X Windows terminal's software. I found it also -convenient for setup over the Ethernet of floppyless PS's, hard disk of which for some -reason can not be accessed (sealed case under warranty, etc.). - - -1.2. Do we need this HOWTO? - -To be honest, I'm not sure. There are few excellent HOWTO's (see 3. Recources) that up until -recently I considered quite sufficient to build what I've done two years ago. But since my -project uses MS Windows as a file server vs. traditional NFS there were some know-how's -involved which number of people wanted to see in some formal document. - - -1.3. A bit of history. - -My project at that time (1996) was to find OS/JVM that will allow to run Java application -on hardware we manufacture. Hardware is practically generic x86 PC except it has no keyboard, -hard drive, floppy drive, mouse, but touchscreen over LCD, plus some POS specific peripherals -(badge reader, credit card reader, etc.). Due to cost consideration it had no any significant -storage, so OS and Java client along with support binaries, libraries etc. had to be loaded -remotely. Because our clients are exclusively Windows shops, Server had to be Windows as well. -During evaluation of different commercial OS'es along with JVM's available it become apparent -to my surprise that most promising solution was GPL one - Linux. - - -2. Project description. - -2.1. Packaging. - -The whole distribution consists of remote file system (RemoteFS) residing on MS Windows -server (NT Workstation, NT Server or Windows9x) and tagged bootable image. - - -2.2. Image. - -Image (~1.5MB) is generated by mknbi utility that comes with Etherboot package -<http://etherboot.sourceforge.net>. It can include minimal root file system (MRFS) -like in my case (since I had to boot client from MS Windows server and Linux kernel doesn't -support SMBFS-Root, only NFS-Root. So I had to keep rootfs in the ramdisk). To generate -image the following script can be used. - -#!/bin/sh -# mkrootnet: makes tagged netbootable image -# This image includes kernel and minimal root filesystem -# to do initial boot. -# -# Copyright (c) Pavel Tkatchouk 1996. All rights reserved. -# Permission is granted for this material to be freely -# used and distributed, provided the source is acknowledged. -# No warranty of any kind is provided. You use this material -# at your own risk. -# -DEVICEFILENAME="/tmp/file" # temporary file to be used as device -FSBLOCKS=4096 # uncompressed filesystem size in K -BOOTDISKDIR="/usr/BOOT/ROOTFS" # root filesystem model -MOUNT="/mnt2" # temporary mount point -ROOTFS="/tmp/rootfs" # root filesystem image -ROOTFSGZ="/tmp/rootfs.gz" # compressed root filesystem image -KERNEL="/usr/KERNELS/vmlinuz-nt" # kernel image -KERNELTMP="/tmp/vmlinuz" # temporary copy of kernel image -BOOTIMAGE="/tmp/img" # tagged image to be booted by client -# if you want ramisk more than default 4096 set CMDLINE, don't forget to -# adjust $FSBLOCKS -# CMDLINE="ramdisk_size=8192" # parameters to pass to the kernel -# -echo "check:" -echo "- if tftp server's download dir mounted to /mnt" -echo "- loopback device is built-in or loaded" -echo "\n press Enter when done" -read tmp -UPLOAD="/mnt/tmp" # tftp server's dir to upload bootimage -echo -e "\nZeroing $DEVICEFILENAME of $FSBLOCKS k" -echo "to be used as device for root filesystem model" -dd if=/dev/zero of=$DEVICEFILENAME bs=1k count=$FSBLOCKS -echo -e "\nMaking file system on $DEVICEFILENAME" -mke2fs -m 0 $DEVICEFILENAME -echo "Mounting $DEVICEFILENAME as a loopback device" -mount -o loop -t ext2 $DEVICEFILENAME $MOUNT -curdir=`pwd` -cd $BOOTDISKDIR -echo -e "Copying files from $BOOTDISKDIR to $DEVICEFILENAME, please wait" -find . -print|cpio -pmd $MOUNT -echo "Unmounting $MOUNT" -umount $MOUNT -cd $curdir -echo "Copying $DEVICEFILENAME to $ROOTFS" -dd if=$DEVICEFILENAME of=$ROOTFS bs=1k -echo "Compressing $ROOTFS, it may take a while" -echo "Please wait..." -if [ -f $ROOTFSGZ ];then - rm -f $ROOTFSGZ -fi -gzip -c $ROOTFS>$ROOTFSGZ -rm -f $ROOTFS -echo -e "\nCreating netbootable image" -cp $KERNEL $KERNELTMP -mknbi -d ram -i rom -r $ROOTFSGZ -k $KERNELTMP -a $CMDLINE -o $BOOTIMAGE -echo "Uploading $BOOTIMAGE to $UPLOAD" -cp $BOOTIMAGE $UPLOAD -echo "Cleaning after ourselves" -rm -f $KERNELTMP $DEVICEFILENAME $BOOTIMAGE -echo "All done" - - -In the above script actual image is generated by the following comand - -#mknbi -d ram -i rom -r rootfs.gz -k vmlinuz-nt -o img - -where: - rootfs.gz - minimal root file system (MRFS); - vmlinuz-nt - kernel; - img - resulting image. - - -Note: -Default ramdisk size is 4096. It was enough for RedHat4.1 based minimal file system, but -apparently not enough for 5.2 based. When this happens "end request:I/O error, dev 01:00 ..." -error shows up. To fix that either use "mknbi -a ramdisk_size=8192" to pass parameter to the -kernel (doesn't require kernel recompilation), or change /usr/src/linux/drivers/block/rd.c: -int rd_size= from 4096 to 8192 or whatever and rebuild the kernel. - - -2.2.1. Kernel. - -Kernels 2.0.30 and 2.0.36 have been used by author, although nothing is preventing you from -experimenting with others. Kernel should include ramdisk support. The following -<link to .config> configuration has been used to build <link to binary (kernel 2.0.30)>. -You may find some components unnecessary, just exclude them and rebuild. - -Don't forget to change root device after you built the kernel (rdev vmlinuz /dev/rd). - -Gotcha's: apparently smbfs is broken in 2.2.x kernels. Symptoms: remote share is mounted -just fine but after a while fails with "smb_request: result = -32" errmsg. I've heard -SuSe has fix for that. - -2.2.2. MRFS. - -Minimal root file system is required to get Linux up and running along with networking until -it can mount remote file system to run X/Java from there. After image gets loaded from the -server MRFS is decompressed into ramdisk. If you can afford a lot of ram on your terminal the -entire remote file system can be moved to rootfs.gz. That will make your terminal more -responsive. - - -2.2.3. Building MRFS. - -Some folks found it easier to start from scratch, others use known "minimal" Linux distributions -(Linux Router, tomsrtbt, etc.), yet others prefer to start from "big" Linuces like I did. Every -path has it's pro and contras. - -Pruning standard distribution (RedHat, Debian, etc.) to your needs might be very time consuming. -To ease that painful process I have used remotely booted diskless client with NFS-Root (see -Etherboot's Readme, NFS-Root and NFS-Root-Client mini-HOWTO's, Diskless-HOWTO): - -- setup minimal RedHat4.1 install (networked workstation, X, no development, mail, etc., ~117MB); -- find . -print|cpio -pmd /usr/NFS/ROOTFS - copy entire fs tree to NFS exported dir; -- mknod /usr/NFS/ROOTFS/dev/nfsroot b 0 255; -- build vmlinuz-nfs kernel according to NFS-Howto (built-in bootp,rarp,NFS,NFS root,NIC - driver,RAM disk); -- rdev vmlinuz-nfs /dev/nfsroot - to set NFS root device; -- build image for NFS-Root fs: - #mknbi -d rom -i rom -k vmlinuz-nfs -o nfsImage; -- boot client while monitoring NFS file requests (by Solaris snoop); -- copy files from /usr/NFS/ROOTFS to /usr/BOOT/ROOTFS (MRFS model) according to snoop's - filelist; -- generate image by mkrootnet script (don't forget to point to the right kernel vmlinuz-nt). - -The above trick not only allows to determine the sought files set but also debug boot process -analyzing NFS messages. I found it convenient to put "read tmp" statements into init scripts -for debugging. Tracking files up until issuing login gives you <link to rootfs.gz> MRFS (~1MB) -that can be used to boot Linux from ROM (flash, eprom, DiskOnChip, SanDisk, etc.) as well. All -the other files requested by client (during starting X, Java, Java client) were put into (link -to remotefs.zip, ~9MB). - - -To restore MRFS model on your PC from the above rootfs.gz: -- #cd /tmp -- #gunzip rootfs.gz -- #mount -o loop -t ext2 /tmp/rootfs /mnt -- #cd /mnt -- #find . -print|cpio -pmd /usr/BOOT/ROOTFS -- #umount /mnt - -Note: - -You will have to change attributes of some dirs, files (/etc/mtab, /etc/mtab~, /var/lock/subsys/*, -/var/run/*, /dev/tty*, etc.) against standard. This is because with standard attribs diskless -client refused to work. For example I had to change /dev/tty* ownerships to 99:99 from original -0:0 or 0:5, to get rid of errmsg "INIT: Id "1" respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes". -Being admin illiterate I just chmod them to 777 and chown to 99:99 to make life easier. -THIS IS SERIOUS SECURITY VIOLATION!!! Using keyboardless terminal with no daemons running in -my case reduces the risk, yet I would appreciate very much those more experienced who will help -to restore the right attribs while keeping the distribution working. - -Some "gotcha's" to watch for during MRFS building: -- standard attributes/ownership of some files don't work; -- rdev must be set (non-tagged image didn't work, so couldn't use config file to pass parrs - to the kernel); -- diskless client writes 99:99 ownership on generated files; -- "password incorrect" for root, but any other OK and su OK too. - - -2.3. RemoteFS. - -Remotefs.zip file includes everything required by the system that can be located on -remote file system, i.e after booting has been complete and remote file system mounted. -In my case it is X Windows System and Java binaries, libraries etc. To use that file on -MS Windows NT: -- unzip remotefs.zip to some directory; -- share this directory read-only as "usr" (or share as some other name and pass this name to - the client through bootptab configuration file for BOOTP server; -- create an account username=root, password=linux on NT (can be set in bootptab). - -Note: -There's no symbolic links on NTFS, so UNIX links must be replaced by copies on NTFS. -To determine potential troublmakers one could use the following: -- first copy required subset (according to snoop's intercept) from /usr/NFS/ROOTFS to - /usr/BOOT/REMOTEFS; -- mount some share from NTFS to /mnt; -- /usr/BOOT/REMOTEFS#find . -print|cpio -pmd /mnt 2>links; -In the links file you will find names to work with. - - -2.4. Booting sequence. - -Boot occurs in the following sequence: -- bootprom sends bootp request, -- bootp server responds with subnet mask, client's name, client's IP, TFTP server's IP, - bootfile name and some optional parameters (like NT's username/password to use it's share, - you could pass some other share name here as say T104="somedir"); -- bootprom downloads image from TFTP server; -- kernel starts; -- kernel decompresses MRFS in RAM; -- system starts init using ramdisk root, -- mounts remote file system from NT via SMBFS; -- automatically logins; -- starts xstart script located on remotefs (/usr/sbin) where you can start any of your - programs, change parameters, etc. without rebuilding the image. - -Below are some config/init sample files from <rootfs.gz>, <remotefs.zip>: - -<bootptab, change to link> -t1:sm=255.255.255.0:sa=192.168.33.150:bf=img:T100="pavelnt4":T101="root":T102="linux" -touch1:hn=touch1:tc=t1:ha=00A0F00035CD:ip=192.168.33.127 - -</etc/fstab, change to link>: -/dev/ram / ext2 defaults 1 1 -/proc /proc proc defaults 0 0 - -</etc/rc.d/rc.bootp, change to link later>: -#!/bin/sh -# Written to simply set the IP stuff up from the -# bootpc data. -# Last updated : Mon Mar 10 15:17:01 1997 -# -# Variables - -BOOTPC=/sbin/bootpc -IFCONFIG=/sbin/ifconfig -ROUTE=/sbin/route -BINHOST=/bin/hostname -DEV=eth0 -ASKSERVER="255.255.255.255" -TW="--timeoutwait 320" -RIF="--returniffail" -RIFMESSAGE="Bootp failed -- disabling network." -RCONF=/etc/resolv.conf -EHOSTS=/etc/hosts -LHOSTS=/etc/hosts.local -TMPFILE=/tmp/bootp -# Functions -# Remove the networking by taking down the interface -netdown() { - ${ROUTE} del default - ${IFCONFIG} ${DEV} down -} -## End of the functions - -## Start of the actual work -# Bring up minimal networking use 0.0.0.0 as our address as we don't -# know it yet (Means "Me but I don't know my address or network") -${IFCONFIG} ${DEV} up 0.0.0.0 -${ROUTE} add default dev ${DEV} - -# Perform the bootp -- doesn't return unless it gets an answer -if ${BOOTPC} --dev ${DEV} --server ${ASKSERVER} ${RIF} ${TW} > ${TMPFILE} -then -# Take down networking (use the 0.0.0.0 for as short a time as possible) - netdown -# Read in the values - . ${TMPFILE} - -# To use in mountsmb script later -SMBSERVER=${T100} -# And delete the temporary file -# rm ${TMPFILE} -else -# Take down networking (use the 0.0.0.0 for as short a time as possible) - netdown -# give message and quit - echo ${RIFMESSAGE} - exit 1 -fi - -# Start the loopback interface and add a route to it -# It's already set by standard init? -${IFCONFIG} lo 127.0.0.1 -${ROUTE} add -net 127.0.0.0 - -# Setup of IP stuff needs doing first -# -if [ -z "${NETMASK}" ] ; then -# No netmask info, all this is guessed from the IP number -# If this is wrong for your network FIX the bootpd to know -# what it should send in the RFC1497 cookie! 11/02/94 JSP -# - ${IFCONFIG} ${DEV} up ${IPADDR} broadcast ${BROADCAST} - ${ROUTE} -n add -net ${NETWORK} dev ${DEV} -else -# We will have NETMASK, BROADCAST, and NETWORK defined - ${IFCONFIG} ${DEV} up ${IPADDR} broadcast ${BROADCAST} netmask ${NETMASK} - ${ROUTE} -n add -net ${NETWORK} dev ${DEV} -fi - -# Set the hostname from what we got via bootp or reverse lookup - -echo "127.0.0.1 loopback localhost">${EHOSTS} -${BINHOST} "${HOSTNAME}" -echo "${IPADDR} ${HOSTNAME}" >>${EHOSTS} -echo "${SERVER} ${SMBSERVER}" >>${EHOSTS} - - -</etc/rc.d/rc.local, change to link>: -#!/bin/sh -# This script will be executed *after* all the other init scripts. -# You can put your own initialization stuff in here if you don't -# want to do the full Sys V style init stuff. -# -# 07/02/97 Pavel Tkatchouk -# -echo "Start networking" -insmod /lib/8390.o -insmod /lib/ne.o io=0x300 irq=9 -echo "Install serial" -insmod /lib/serial.o -echo "Install touch" -insmod /lib/touch.o -echo "Install smbfs" -insmod /lib/smbfs.o -echo "Getting TCP/IP parameters from bootp server" -echo "and start networking" -/etc/rc.d/rc.bootp -if [ -f /etc/squirrel-release ]; then - R=$(cat /etc/squirrel-release) -else - R="release 0.02" -fi -echo "Mounting remote fs" -/sbin/mountsmb -echo "XYZ Inc. Diskless Linux $R" -echo "Starting X and Java client without login" -su -c /sbin/xstart root - - -</usr/sbin/xstart, change to link>: -#!/bin/bash -# -# Script to start X and Java client -# 08/07/97 Pavel Tkatchouk -# -# Read bootps response first -. /tmp/bootp -# -s 0 to disable screen-saver -/usr/X11R6/bin/X -s 0 & -export DISPLAY=:0.0 -# /usr is share mounted from Windows workstation -cd /usr/program/ -java SomeJavaApp - - -</sbin/mountsmb, change to link>: -#!/bin/bash -# mountsmb: mounts remote filesystems from NT workstation -# using Microsoft's SMB protocol -# -# Copyright (c) Pavel Tkatchouk 1997. All rights reserved. -# Permission is granted for this material to be freely -# used and distributed, provided the source is acknowledged. -# No warranty of any kind is provided. You use this material -# at your own risk. -# -# Last edit June 29 8:30 1997 -# -MOUNTDIR="usr" -SHRDIR="usr" -BOOTPRES="/tmp/bootp" -# Read botpc response -. ${BOOTPRES} -# Sharename from NT server, uncomment if you want to use -# non-hardcoded "usr" but from bootptab -#SHRDIR=${T104} -SMBSRV="//${T100}" -CLIENT="${HOSTNAME}" -USER="${T101}" -PASSWORD="${T102}" -echo -e "\nMounting $SMBSRV/$SHRDIR to /$MOUNTDIR" -smbmount $SMBSRV/$SHRDIR $MOUNTDIR -c $CLIENT -U $USER -P $PASSWORD -echo -e "\nDone" - -Gotcha's: -Looks like smbmount client from smbfs package used to mount remote Windows shares to local -Linux dirs in pre 2.2.x era isn't maintained anymore so you should use one coming with -Samba package. Also binary smbmount won't work with 2.2.x, so you have to recompile with -2.2.x headers following Samba's readme. Yet even that won't guarantee reliable work until -somebody fixes kernel's smbfs module. - -2.4.1. BOOTP, TFTP. - -There are number of BOOTP, TFTP servers for Windows on the market. You could find them -here: - -- www.walusoft.co.uk (Walusoft's tftp); -- ftp.coast.net/simtel/nt/internet/tftpds12.zip (Millwood AB's tftp); -- ftp.cabletron.com/pub/snmp/bootftp/boottft2.zip (Cabletron's bootp/tftp combo); -- www.tellurian.au.com (Tellurian's bootp, tftp, dhcp servers). -- www.metainfo.com (Metainfo's DHCP server) -- www.nts.com (Network Telesystems's DHCP server in IPserver package) - -My choice was Tellurian's products - very reliable, simple to install, attractively priced -(fully capable evaluation versions are available). - -2.5. Bootprom. - -Ken Yap's Etherboot <etherboot.sourceforge.net> will tell you everything about bootprom. -Here I just want to mention that normally you would have to put bootprom's code into network -adapter's PROM. But if your hardware like mine has BIOS programmed in flash you could -re-program it to add bootprom (some BIOS requires special programmer to do that, others don't) -as BIOS extension. - -This is what I did to add ne.rom (bootprom generated by Etherboot's makerom for NE2000 clone) -to AMI BIOS on my flash: - -- read flash content by programmer into bios.bin binary file; -- use one of available binary editors (say www.simtel.net/Win95/editors/hxp3005.zip to add - ne.rom to bios.bin (and to edit ne.rom if necessary); -- write new bios.bin back to flash. - -Notes: -- makerom generates bootprom for standard EPROM sizes (8k, 16k, 32k, etc.), so if you tight on - space use -s flag to adjust size (or cut it manually to multiple of 512 bytes blocks, just - don't forget to adjust extension's length which is coded in Byte 2 and checksum to 8 bits - of zero; -- valid absolute addresses for BIOS extensions are from 0xC8000 to 0xF4000 (check with - motherboard's manufacturer how flash is mapped onto system memory space); -- Byte 0 must be 0x55, Byte 1 must be 0xAA, Byte 2 must be extension's length in 512 bytes - blocks; -- extension BIOS has to start at a 2k boundary; - - -3. Resources. - -FAQ's: -- tomsrtbt.FAQ (www.toms.net); - -HOWTO's: -- Paul Moody's miniHOWTO (www.linuxembedded.com/pmhowto.html) -- Diskless; -- Diskless-HOWTO; -- NFS-Root; -- NFS-Root-Client; -- Bootdisk-HOWTO; -- BootPrompt-HOWTO; -- NCD-X-Terminal; -- Remote-Boot; -- Remote-X-Apps; - -Web: -- etherboot.sourceforge.net/ -- www.waste.org/~zanshin -- www.tellurian.com.au. -- www.toms.net -- www.trinux.org -- www.linux.org.uk/ELKS-Home -- www.embedded.com -- www.linuxembedded.com -- www.thinlinux.org -- www.linuxrouter.org -- linux-mandrake.com -- www.disklessworkstations.com - -Newsgroups: -- comp.arch.embedded - -Lists: -- netboot-owner@baghira.han.de -- linux-embedded@waste.org - -Magazines: -- Circuit Cellar #100 - 105 - - -4. Copyright. - -Copyright (c) Pavel Tkatchouk 1999. -Permission is granted for this material to be freely used and distributed, provided the source -is acknowledged. Copyright policy is GPL as published by the Free Software Foundation. - -No warranty of any kind is provided. You use this material at your own risk. - - - -5. Feedback and credits. - -Since I am neither have a lot of Linux experience nor native English speaker, there would be -errors in this document. I would accept any help with gratitude whether in form of proof-reading, -techical corrections or otherwise. Please send your comments, suggestions and questions to Pavel -Tkatchouk (ptkatcho@portal.ca) - -I wish to thank Pierre Mondie who convinced me to start this document. I'm also very much in -debt to all those who's work made this project possible: - -Ken Yap <ken_yap@users.sourceforge.net> (Etherboot) -David Newall <www.tellurian.com.au> (Bootpdnt/Ftpdnt) -(to be continued) - |