Re: [gentoo-releng] x86 netboot, because beejay sucks

[Guy Martin]

On Sat, 18 Sep 2004 09:49:44 -0400
Kumba <kumba@g.o> wrote:

> Guy Martin wrote:
>
> > I'm working on this atm.
> >
> > My catalyst patch starts from a stage3, compile all the stuff you
> > specified in the spec file, copy the file you specified for each pkg
> > in the chroot, handle required libs and co. It also compiles busybox
> > and let you specify your config file for it.
> > I still have to write support for the kernel compilation and the
> > final netboot image generation.
> >
> > Btw, I need info about generating such image for x86. I know how to
> > do it for hppa but nfi for x86. :)
>
> Can one possibility for this be to just generate the
> loopback-mountable ramdisk as the final catalyst product along with a
> tar.bz2 of the same data (i.e., skip kernel compiliation)?  In the
> case of mips netboots, systems whose kernels can be built w/ ramdisks
> will use the loopback image, while the others will use the tar.bz2 for
> nfsroot.

For now, I was planning somehting simple. The catalyst script would just
create a kernel and the ramdisk which would be a simple ext2 filesystem.
The final image would be created by a third-part script like the iso
generation script for the livecd.
Do you absolutely need to not build a kernel or the kernel build will
always be required ?

> Also, will this be able to use uclibc by chance?

I'm not familiar with uclibc. If simply copying the uclibc's libc.so
file in the ramdisk instead of the glibc's one works then I can
implement it quickly.
If all apps really needs to be linked against uclibc, I guess it can be
doable too but I'll have to look at it.


I should be able to have somehting running and useable today. I just
finished the kernel generation part. I just need to pack all of the
files. If you want to test, I'm on irc :)


> --Kumba
>


-- 
Guy Martin
Gentoo Linux - HPPA port Lead / IPv6 team
Lug Charleroi (Belgium)