Re: netbooting pxegrub

[Thomas Schweikle]

Hi!



An:     Thomas Schweikle <address@hidden>
Kopie:  address@hidden
Thema:  Re: netbooting pxegrub


> On Mon, Apr 23, 2001 at 09:38:22PM +0300, Thomas Schweikle wrote:
>> I've set up a booting environment for grub:
>>
>> in '/tftpboot/grub/' grub is installed.
>> Netbooting with an intel etherexpress pro 100 works, but I am not
>> presented with the configured menu. The option is handled to grub, but
>> seems to fail. Trying to give a configfile in grubs shell:
>>
>> configfile (nb)/cl01/grub.cfg
>             ^^^^
> Network Device -> nd

This was a typo in my mail...

But I could resolve the problem:

the machine in question has three NIC's:
1x 3c905C
2x EtherExpress Pro

the only card capable of netbooting is the 3c905C. This card will
initialize and load pxegrub. Grub starts up and searches network cards.
Now it is getting complicated:
- the 3c905C isn't found.
- Grub finds one of the two EtherExpress Pro and initializes it.
- Grub finds the second EtherExpress Pro but does not initialize it.
- Grub try's to send the option-150 request trough the uninitialized
second EtherExpress Pro. This fails. You'll get the Grub shell.

This looks strange, but seems to be logical: all three cards are capable
of netbooting with pxe. But this is deactivated for the two EtherExpress
(the software is available in firmware, but deactivated). Looks like the
deactivation routine isn't perfect in any way and doesn't hide these NIC's
while booting, producing some confusion which NIC to work on for Grub.

But nevertheless Grub doesn't work if I only compile the 3c905 support in.
Grub just fails to find the NIC in this case.

If I build Grub with EtherExpress Pro support only and boot via floppy (or
network) the confusion mentioned above arises.

--
Thomas