The macosxhints Forums - Netboot with 10.3 Client as Server

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- - Netboot with 10.3 Client as Server (http://hintsforums.macworld.com/showthread.php?t=23382)

Quote:

Originally Posted by stetner

It would seem to me that once the firmware hands over to the kernel, the kernel will need to know what the network settings are for the interface.

Are there any args that can be added to tell the kernel what its new interface/ip address is?

If only I knew. ;-) Although that does give me a direction for further research.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stetner

BTW I assume 192.168.1.1 is the server, so how does the client know what it's IP is supposed to be? I used to do this stuff with HPs, and we always had the IP information transfered to the client in the bootp info, the server would have a 'table' of MAC hardware addresses that it would serve and a map of how those related to IP addresses of the client.

OF gets its addy from my DHCP server. Incidentally, it takes two `boot' commands at the OF prompt to get it to get going. OF generates quite a bit of DHCP traffic during the first `boot' attempt, then seems to realize it's been given an IP addy once I enter `boot' again. (I've attached the related system log messages as a file to this post.)

Thanks for the pointer, regarding passing net info to the kernel. I had guessed that it would just use DHCP but I realize I should do more research into that area.

Code:

May 21 17:54:09 tinadrien bootpd[20763]: bsdpd: re-reading configuration

May 21 17:54:09 tinadrien bootpd[20763]: ni_pathsearch '/config/NetBootServer' failed: No such directory

May 21 17:54:09 tinadrien bootpd[20763]: bsdpd: shadow file size will be set to48 megabytes

May 21 17:54:09 tinadrien bootpd[20763]: bsdpd: age time 24:00:00

May 21 17:54:09 tinadrien bootpd[20763]: bsdpd: no client sharepoints defined

May 21 17:54:09 tinadrien bootpd[20763]: bootpd: NetBoot service turned off

I think you may need a /config/NetBootServer directory and associated files, Netboot service turning off seems to leave you netboot client hanging without a disk image.

Which is about the same point I'm at trying to netboot an imac from a linux server... (only I'm just trying to tell the client where to find it's image, rather than telling the server where to serve it from)

Since I am more convinced as I read this thread I do not have the technical abilities to even try this, I really cannot understand what you are struggling with at present. And so I do not know if this will help at all, but I just wanted to mention that this apple doc at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106439 mentions what ports Netboot uses.

I still cannot handle any of this technicicities, so I do not know if this will help either, but anyhow here I found a page supposedly describing how to use a Linux/Unix machine as a Netboot server for Mac clients. Check the links at the bottom.

http://staff.harrisonburg.k12.va.us/...eweaver/macnb/

I have successfully configured a 10.3.5 client to act as a net boot server. Apple left out a couple things.

1) I launched bootpd from the command line with options -m -N -D -v rather than enableing it via xinetd.d.

2) you can enable tftp in xinetd.d (see man xinetd for details). Do not change the default directory, but instead, create a symbolic link named "Netboot" to /Library/Netboot INSIDE a directory named /private/tftpboot.

3 To create an image, follow the instructions at http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107353

I just figured this out, and wanted to let you know. If I need to go into more detail, let me know.

P.S. I just remembered that I also had to add the property "dhcp_vendor_specific" with no value to NetInfo's "config/dhcp" directory, though I'm not actually sure if this did anything.

P.P.S. the instruction in 3 tell you to use kextcache to create the file mach.macosx.mkext. Make sure that Ignore Permissions on this Volume is NOT checked in the get info window of you image volume before you do this.

TYSVM! I've been trying to research how to do this for months! I'll definitely be experimenting this weekend! :)

I should have mentioned that the instructions I followed were in man (8) bootpd. Also available here
http://developer.apple.com/documenta.../bootpd.8.html

Just for the record, another step-by-step, and seemingly easy guide, at http://www.macgeekery.com/hacks/hard...netboot_server