Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

gcmartin · Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 2637 Location: Earth

Several months ago @JamesBond created a technology to allow any modern PC to boot Puppy over the LAN without using CD/DVD/HDD/USB/Flash/etc. Simply, if you have a PC you wanted to boot, you can have it boot any Puppy you select without carrying ANY media over to it.

That process is known as NETBOOT. Its easy and to do it in Puppy (32bit or 64bit), it is described here.
The PC which will boot itself from what it find on the LAN is called a PXE PC.

That thread, is a how to Netboot Puppy approach for booting a Puppy from it ISO. But, it does NOT address booting a NON-PUPPY ISO.

Thus, the primary reason for this thread is to "address NETBOOTing something other than Puppy.".

This has been covered many times over many years using other OSs. But a solid approach (similar to the mentioned thread) does not appear to exist for something the will work in Puppy.

So, to start this thread, and help others who may want to allow a PC to boot something other that Puppy, I will share

DNSMASQ - a Linux product which supports setting up a NETBOOT environment
TFTPD32 - A cross platform product which supports setting up a NETBOOT environment

These solutions create the server envrionment so that a PXE PC can find it.

Once either is tailored properly, some additional steps must be taken by an administrator to "populate" the server with the files" so that a PXE PC gets an OS it can boot.

In the 5 Steps,... Puppy gets a utility which will take a Puppy ISO and create the files necessary for a PXE PC to NETBOOT properly. Further, the "5 Steps ..." manual describes how NETBOOT can set up for the PXE PC to select which OS it wants (assuming you have run MultiPUP to have created an ISO).

But, for something other than Puppy ISOs, a new/different/upgraded approach must be created to allow, say, a DOS diskette to be positioned for a PXE PC to boot its OS.

This thread is an appeal for assistance to help or create a method in Puppy to do so. This thread's appeal arises from another thread's discussion here.

Ideas.

pindrop · Joined: 16 Jan 2012 Posts: 3

Anyone had any success with this? gcmartin, will the netboot server NOT CONFLICT with a dhcp server on the same network when setting up those 2 packages (dnsmasq and tftpd32) you referenced (as is the case with your 5-steps) ?

sunburnt · Joined: 08 Jun 2005 Posts: 4006 Location: Arizona, U.S.A.

Very neat Stuff...

I made LanPuppy many years ago, but few people are interested in LAN booting.

My hopes were to expand it to web booting, but that`s a different puppy. Wink

gcmartin · Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 2637 Location: Earth

This subsytem works independent of your LAN's DHCP server.

It incorporates a feature where it ONLY looks for PCs requesting PXE (Netboot) services.

Everyone who has use this has been extremely happy with its ease of use and its functionality. namely boot a PC without using the HDD or CD or USB or any local peripherals...just your built-in LAN features of your PC needing to boot.

Simple.

Any problems or issues or hiccups or great experiences, please post.

Oh, the Guide has been found to give a "can't fail" roadmap to implementation.

Hope this helps

sebus · Joined: 20 Jan 2012 Posts: 62

Netboot is what Apple Mac OS uses

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetBoot

It is ONLY similar in concept to the Preboot Execution Environment, but it has NOTHING to do with it

Please do not mix the terms!

sebus

gcmartin · Joined: 14 Oct 2005 Posts: 2637 Location: Earth

Yes @

You are correct in showing that Netboot is a Apple term.

What we are doing here, is "Network booting" and is typically abbreviated by Network Administrators as "Netboot".

Please I hope no-one is confused by what is offered in Puppy to allow the community to be able to boot a PC via the LAN.

Hope this helps