PXE boot Knoppix

sharptech · 04-19-2007, 01:04 PM

Hello,

Currently we are running a boot server that mounts KNOPPIX_V5.0.1CD-2006-06-01-EN.iso.

I have downloaded KNOPPIX_V5.1.1CD-2007-01-04-EN.iso and have it in the appropriate directory.

We are using PXE to do the boot and then it does the mount.

On the boot server we have the /tftpboot directory with the miniroot.gz, vmlinuz, and pxelinux.cfg/default files.

What can I do to make the newer ISO mount?

Thanks

sharptech · 04-19-2007, 03:17 PM

Now that I look at it closer - we have a mounted directory /knoppix and when I do a mount /knoppix and then ls into the directory it has the old ISO files.

I need to mount the files of the new ISO into this directory it looks like.

Any ideas?

hapser · 04-20-2007, 02:21 AM

I'm new with this so I might be wrong.

Sounds like you just need to mount the new ISO right?

In this case you would first unmount the old iso image:

umount /knoppix

Then you would mount the new one:

mount KNOPPIX_V5.1.1CD-2007-01-04-EN.iso -o loop /knoppix

This will mount the iso image and the files will be in /knoppix

hope this helps.

sharptech · 04-20-2007, 08:32 AM

Hapser thanks - however that will not work and here is why.

The mounted directory for the ISO (/knoppix) is running on a xen virtual machine. The other ISO's are on a different xen machine.

The /knoppix directory is an nfs share.

I can't figure out when I mount /knoppix - where the files are coming from.

Thanks for the help.

IsaacKuo · 04-20-2007, 11:14 AM

I'm not familiar with how Knoppix specifically does things, but I've done diskless netbooting with Debian.

I'd start looking at the pxelinux.cfg/default file in a text editor to see where it's mounting root from. Assuming it's using nfs, it might look something like this:

APPEND root=/dev/nfs initrd=initrd.img.netboot nfsroot=192.168.1.4:/mnt/hda5/yuki ip=dhcp rw

If Knoppix is doing something similar, then you'll be able to see somewhere what the mount point is (in this case, /mnt/hda5/yuki).

Next, I'd look at /etc/exports to confirm that this is indeed the location of the nfs share.

After that, I'd look at /etc/mtab and/or /etc/fstab to figure out what exactly this share is pointing to. It should be some sort of "cloop" or "loop" entry or something involving the .iso filename somehow.

I suspect that a quick and dirty way to make this work will be to change the /etc/fstab on the server to point to the new .iso file while keeping the same mount point.

sharptech · 04-20-2007, 11:54 AM

Here are the config files mentioned:
pxelinux.cfg/defualt:

Code:

DEFAULT vmlinuz
APPEND nfsdir=172.20.1.29:/knoppixnfs lang=us ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init apm=power-off nomce vga=791 initrd=miniroot.gz quiet BOOT_IMAGE=knoppix
TIMEOUT 300

PROMPT 1
DISPLAY boot.msg
LABEL knoppix
KERNEL vmlinuz
APPEND nfsdir=172.20.1.29:/knoppixnfs lang=us ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init apm=power-off nomce vga=791 initrd=miniroot.gz quiet BOOT_IMAGE=knoppix
LABEL knoppix-txt
KERNEL vmlinuz
APPEND nfsdir=172.20.1.29:/knoppixnfs lang=us ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init apm=power-off nomce vga=normal initrd=miniroot.gz BOOT_IMAGE=knoppix
LABEL expert
KERNEL vmlinuz
APPEND nfsdir=172.20.1.29:/knoppixnfs lang=us ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init apm=power-off nomce vga=791 initrd=miniroot.gz BOOT_IMAGE=expert
LABEL fb1024x768
KERNEL vmlinuz
APPEND nfsdir=172.20.1.29:/knoppixnfs lang=us ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init apm=power-off nomce vga=791 xmodule=fbdev initrd=miniroot.gz BOOT_IMAGE=knoppix
LABEL fb800x600
KERNEL vmlinuz
APPEND nfsdir=172.20.1.29:/knoppixnfs lang=us ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init apm=power-off nomce vga=788 xmodule=fbdev initrd=miniroot.gz BOOT_IMAGE=knoppix

/etc/exports:

Code:

/knoppixnfs 172.20.1.0/24(ro,no_root_squash,async)
/ddimagesnfs 172.20.1.0/24(rw,fsid=0,no_root_squash,insecure,no_subtree_check,sync,anonuid=65534,anongid=65534)

/etc/fstab:

Code:

/dev/sda1               /                       ext3    defaults 1 1
/dev/sda3               /knoppixnfs             iso9660 rw     1 1
/dev/sda4               /ddimagesnfs            ext3    rw,acl 1 1
none                    /dev/pts                devpts  gid=5,mode=620 0 0
none                    /dev/shm                tmpfs   defaults 0 0
none                    /proc                   proc    defaults 0 0
none                    /sys                    sysfs   defaults 0 0

This is what we have to work with. Any suggestions on what to do?

Thank you.

IsaacKuo · 04-20-2007, 12:03 PM

Okay, it looks to me like the root file system is mounted on the server at /knoppixnfs, and /etc/exports confirms this. I'm a little confused about the use of "nfsdir" instead of "nfsroot"; as far as I know they may be equivalent. I'm no expert.

However, the /etc/fstab entry is a little strange. It looks to me like the server thinks /knoppixnfs is an actual CD drive. But it's not really an actual CD drive, right? It has something to do with your xen virtual machine stuff, right? Well, you've just got to figure out how to virtually "insert" the new CD into this virtual CD drive. I'm completely unfamiliar with Xen, so that's as far as my advice can go.

sharptech · 04-20-2007, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IsaacKuo

However, the /etc/fstab entry is a little strange. It looks to me like the server thinks /knoppixnfs is an actual CD drive. But it's not really an actual CD drive, right? It has something to do with your xen virtual machine stuff, right? Well, you've just got to figure out how to virtually "insert" the new CD into this virtual CD drive. I'm completely unfamiliar with Xen, so that's as far as my advice can go.

Thats exactly it! There is no actual CD - it has to do with the Xen virtual machine - and that is the part that I can not figure out myself.

sharptech · 04-20-2007, 12:19 PM

Well I figured it out.

I went to the xen machine that had the config file for the bootserver and had to change the ISO file name in the config. I then rebooted the system and it was good to go.

Thnaks for the help getting me there - very much appreciated.

sharptech · 05-01-2007, 10:06 AM

Hello,

Update to the Knoppix server.

This works on all my laptops except the ones with a 57xx broadcom ethernet nic.

Anything I can try to get these laptops to boot to the network using this adapter card?

I will post error message in one minute.
Edit: error message is this:

Welcome to the Knoppix Terminal Client!

Can't mount NFSmount KNOOPIX filesystem, sorry. Dropping you to a very limited shell.

Modules loaded (Shows all of them)

ifconfig shows 127.0.0.1

it looks like the modules for the nic are not being loaded.
Thanks

IsaacKuo · 05-01-2007, 10:35 AM

The terminal server is essentially running of a virtual CD, right? I somehow doubt that you can make any changes, because for all intents and purposes the virtual CD is read-only.

I assume that if you try to boot up with a real Knoppix CD on the laptops in question, the nic isn't recognized. Is this right?

sharptech · 05-01-2007, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IsaacKuo

The terminal server is essentially running of a virtual CD, right? I somehow doubt that you can make any changes, because for all intents and purposes the virtual CD is read-only.

I assume that if you try to boot up with a real Knoppix CD on the laptops in question, the nic isn't recognized. Is this right?

Yes it is a virtual CD (ISO image).

The Network Admin took a look and updated the files on the server in the /tftboot directory and all is well.

Thanks