tftpboot problems, kernel panic, unable to mount port, etc

I am trying to load an OS using OpenSuse64. I installed the tftp server using YaST utility which did return a successful install. When I set my environment and try to boot off the nfs server, I get these multiple error messages:


bcm5892-mac-mdio: probed
PHY eth0: link status:0 Autoneg 1 10base-HD
IP-Config: Complete:
device=eth0, addr=10.50.2.235, mask=255.255.255.0, gw=10.50.2.1,
host=abydos, domain=, nis-domain=(none),
bootserver=10.50.2.80, rootserver=10.50.2.80, rootpath=
Looking up port of RPC 100003/2 on 10.50.2.80
Root-NFS: Unable to get nfsd port number from server, using default
Looking up port of RPC 100005/1 on 10.50.2.80
Root-NFS: Unable to get mountd port number from server, using default
Root-NFS: Server returned error -5 while mounting /tftpboot/L5000/rootfs
VFS: Unable to mount root fs via NFS, trying floppy.
VFS: Cannot open root device "nfs" or unknown-block(2,0)
Please append a correct "root=" boot option; here are the available partitions:
b300 1931264 mmcblk0 driver: mmcblk
b301 1929244 mmcblk0p1
Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(2,0)

here is my partial set environment:
setenv bootnfs 'tftp 42000000 L5000/uimage1;
nfsroot=/tftpboot/L5000/rootfs

the error: "Root-NFS: Server returned error -5 while mounting /tftpboot/L5000/rootfs" is odd, because my uimage1 resides in:
/tftpboot/L5000/rootfs/boot/

so, being a relative newbie, I am at a loss how to get a suxccessful load
Thanks

Without a littel more context, it is hard to interpret what you've posted. It looks like you're trying use an NFS root filesystem. Does the kernel in question have built-in support for this? Is the NFS server correctly exporting the target's root filesystem? Can you mount it with a 'norma'l NFS client? I'm not acquainted with the environment variable 'bootnfs'; in what context is that used? bootloader?
Are you sure you're not confusing the purpose of NFS with that of tftp? Both have roles in diskless booting, but are distinct components. Tftp is often used by bootloaders like PXE to load the kernel (and sometimes initrd) image(s) from a network server. NFS may then be used to mount the kernel's root filesystem. Two separate issues, two separate systems.

--- rod.