[PLUG] Looking for netboot rescue image

plug at eehouse.org plug at eehouse.org
Sun Sep 30 18:14:37 UTC 2007


I asked:
> > My home network is set up to net-install Debian onto pxe-bootable
> > machines.  Unlike CD-based installers, net installers don't seem to
> > have a rescue mode -- or at least not one that doesn't need external
> > net access.  I'd like to download, or build, a self-sufficient
> > net-bootable rescue image.  Any suggested sources?

Then "Eli Stair" <eli.stair at gmail.com> replied:
> I set up knoppix to boot from a menu.c32 PXE menu system at work to
> help the desktop-support guys with troubleshooting.
> 
> Here's my PXE menu config for this entry:
> 
> # knoppix OS netboot
> LABEL knoppix
>   MENU LABEL Knoppix 5.1.1 Netboot
>   KERNEL boot_images/UTIL/knoppix-5.1.1/vmlinuz-knoppix-5.1.1
>   APPEND secure nfsdir=1.1.1.1:/path/boot/knoppix_511 lang=us
> ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init apm=power-off nodhcp nomce vga=791
> initrd=boot_images/UTIL/knoppix-5.1.1/minirt-knoppix-5.1.1.gz
> BOOT_IMAGE=knoppix
> 
> Lemme know if you need any more help.

I've discovered another constraint: no nfs.  The debian installer fits
everything it needs into the initrd file served up by the tftp server.
I guess building my rescue netboot image is simply a matter of seeing
how much I can squeeze into that file using mkinitramfs and its config
files.  (Assuming the initrd FS doesn't go away after boot time; still
trying to understand that...)

Thanks,

--Eric
-- 
******************************************************************************
* From the desktop of: Eric House, xwords at eehouse.org                        *
*     Play one-handed with Crosswords 4.2 for PalmOS: xwords.sourceforge.net *
******************************************************************************



More information about the PLUG mailing list