Ok, I have setup my tftp server service and dhcp server
plugged in my cat5 cable to my machine that support PBX network booting.
I also enabled network booting in the bios.

But I am wondering what bootable image file I can use to test to see if it is working. I have read now tftp and PBX network booting supports up to 4GB.
But for now I am just looking for a file that I can use for my network booting?

Does anybody know or have a bootable image that I could use?
I am not sure of the format of the image is it a floppy or can it be an iso that I downloaded at distrowatch.com ?

I am egar to get this up an running since this will be my first successful time at getting this to go.

 

Ok , I tried the mythubuntu.iso that I got off of distrowatch.
And I get a screen saying this

client ip 192.168.1.101 mask 255.255.255.0 dhcp ip 192.168.1.100
gateway ip: 192.168.1.1
PXE-E79: NBP is too big to fit in free base memory

PXE-MBF: Exiting Broadcom PXE ROM

I have 2 GB of memory in this computer.
Is this not using system memory but some type of special nic card memory that I am not aware of ?

I cann't see what the size issue is from and more importantly how to fix it?

My server error logs say this

Rcvd DHCP Discover Msg for IP 0.0.0.0, Mac 00:0BB:2B:0E:F4 [12/10 20:17:59.843]
Client requested address 0.0.0.108 [12/10 20:17:59.843]
DHCP: proposed address 192.168.1.101 [12/10 20:18:02.265]
Rcvd DHCP Discover Msg for IP 0.0.0.0, Mac 00:0BB:2B:0E:F4 [12/10 20:18:03.375]
Client requested address 0.0.0.108 [12/10 20:18:03.375]
DHCP: proposed address 192.168.1.101 [12/10 20:18:05.265]
1652 Request 2 not processed [12/10 20:18:05.265]
1652 Request 2 not processed [12/10 20:18:05.265]
Rcvd DHCP Rqst Msg for IP 0.0.0.0, Mac 00:0BB:2B:0E:F4 [12/10 20:18:05.640]
Previously allocated address 192.168.1.101 acked [12/10 20:18:05.640]
1652 Request 2 not processed [12/10 20:18:05.640]
Connection received from 192.168.1.101 on port 2070 [12/10 20:18:06.187]
Read request for file <myth.0>. Mode octet [12/10 20:18:06.187]
OACK: <tsize=676710400,> [12/10 20:18:06.187]
Using local port 2137 [12/10 20:18:06.187]
Peer returns ERROR <TFTP Aborted> -> aborting transfer [12/10 20:18:06.203]

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but isn't tftp about sending some files to another machine. The files you are sending are kernel and some other systemcritical files. When that's done, then I think you can make a script, and point to a location on the LAN to download other files/programs or even a GUI.

I could be way off...

 

Well your probably right but I just don't know what file I have to set the boot file to. Is it an iso that I downloaded from distrowatch, or do I only need to copy a kernel out of the iso file, or do I need more files like initrd as well as other config files that I am not aware of.

Also if I wanted to network boot a windows machine do I just copy ntldr .

The boot file and files to make network booting possible is what I am struggleing to understand.

 

Have you read this:
http://www.linuxhomenetworking.com/...nd_xinetd#Installing_The_TFTP_Server_Software

 

Have been reading but I am on a windows xp machine.

I have set the boot file on the Tftpd32 server service to test.txt

test.txt contains the menu file which points to the display bootit.txt

DISPLAY bootit.txt

DEFAULT etch_i386_install

LABEL etch_i386_install
        kernel debian/etch/i386/linux
        append vga=normal initrd=debian/etch/i386/initrd.gz  --
LABEL etch_i386_linux
        kernel debian/etch/i386/linux
        append vga=normal initrd=debian/etch/i386/initrd.gz  --

LABEL etch_i386_expert
        kernel debian/etch/i386/linux
        append priority=low vga=normal initrd=debian/etch/i386/initrd.gz  --

LABEL etch_i386_rescue
        kernel debian/etch/i386/linux
        append vga=normal initrd=debian/etch/i386/initrd.gz  rescue/enable=true --

PROMPT 1
TIMEOUT 0

- Boot Menu -
=============

etch_i386_install
etch_i386_linux
etch_i386_expert
etch_i386_rescue

Now if I copy the correct linux files into this directory and modify the menu files then it should work.

However I am not sure what linux files I need to copy ?
Do I just take files located at kernel debian/etch/i386/linux , debian/etch/i386/initrd.gz . Or do I have to copy everything?

 

So you have a Win XP machine with TFTP server installed, and you want another machine boot a Linux distro?

Maybe there are some hints here...
http://www.debian.org/releases/stable/alpha/ch04s03.html.en