FreeBSD 5.3/5.4 - pxeboot hosting on em0 Intel 82540EM

David P. Discher dpd at dpdtech.com
Sat May 28 15:09:28 PDT 2005


Netboot and Installing FreeBSD over em0 GigE link

I am having an issue with pxeboot/BTX loader mounting/contacting a  
TFTP server or NFS server that is hosted on machine with an Intel  
GigE em0 ethernet card.

pxeboot comes over (via 82540EM bios), loader comes over, but the  
load says it can figure out what the root disk is.   So the loader  
cannot find /boot/defaults/loader.conf, that is were it stops.

Any ideas ?  Anyone use the if_em on FreeBSD to perform netboots/ 
netinstalls ?


     em0 at pci2:6:0:   class=0x020000 card=0x002e8086 chip=0x100e8086  
rev=0x02 hdr=0x00
         vendor   = 'Intel Corporation'
         device   = '82540EM Gigabit Ethernet Controller'
         class    = network
         subclass = ethernet


Two near identical machines using this card in a cross-over (as the  
private link).

I have a third machine that I have networked booted with the same  
kernel and loader/pxeboot binaries, and mfsboot, but both machines in  
that configuration are using fxp cards.

( BTW - the pxeboot documentation needs some correction for the 5.4  
release.
   Will post my notes later. )


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David P. Discher  * <http://davidpdischer.com/> * C: x
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