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Hi, |
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Recently I tried to install Gentoo using a PXE-enabled Grub image that I set up |
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to boot the kernel provided on the experimental 2005.1 install CD (as well as |
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also using the initial cpio ramfs image.) |
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|
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Obviously, I quickly experienced that such an install was -- for the moment at |
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least -- not exactly hassle-free and straightforward to set up in Gentoo. |
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After perusing some of the bootup routines (syslinux, /linuxrc, the squashfs |
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livecd image et al.), I sort of came to a dead end when trying to get my head |
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around exactly where would be the appropriate place to modify the installer |
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(/boot-process) or even what to do in order to manually tell it to source the |
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installation files over NFS instead of the local CD/DVD rom. |
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|
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Since I recently did a very hassle-free installation of Solaris 10 using the |
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exact same method described in the subject, I thought that well, this *shouldn't* |
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be that hard to add support in Gentoo for. |
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However, I am pretty much out if ideas when it comes to getting this thing to |
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run without investing too much time on it. |
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So far I've provided my own pxegrub (incidentally the one Sun used, as it had |
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support for a variety of commonly-used NICs), as well as compiled a replacement |
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kernel with DHCP and NFSROOT support. (NFSROOT wouldn't be strictly needed, but |
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I threw it in anyways). Alas, I've not managed to persuade the installer to |
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use NFS instead of local media for the install, despite being able to mount the |
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NFS share on the client (particulars regarding squashfs mounting, udev |
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detection etc.) |
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|
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Now on to the reason for posting this to the list (and my sincere apologies if |
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it isn't the right place for it) -- the best way for achieving this would |
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naturally be to provide support for NFS installs at some early part in the boot |
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procedure; e.g, as a kernel option for instance; or if no CD/DVD media is |
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detected, ask for network-install. |
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To give an example, in Solaris this is achieved simply via -- |
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kernel /solaris-x86/multiboot kernel/unix -B install_media=ip.add.re.ss:/mnt/image0 |
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(whereas install_media=cdrom being for local installs) |
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I suspect this shouldn't be too hard to provide in Gentoo, as I am sure it |
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would be quite beneficial with regard to JumpStarted environs, and also for |
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systems that for some reason or another do not have a local CD/DVD drive |
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available. |
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Any other thoughts on this? Is my request totally inappropriate (as in |
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currently downprioritized), or do others see the benefits of having such a |
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feature? |
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Regards, |
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|
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-- |
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-=-=- Martin Andersen =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- EMail: martin.andersen@××××.org =-=-=-=-=-=-=- |
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-=-=- Cellphone: +47 906 45 948 -=-=-=- http://dragonfly.homeunix.net/cv.pdf -=-=-=-=- |
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-- |
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