Custom kernel for PXE / cdrom installation

Don don at calis.blacksun.org
Tue Mar 30 07:45:56 PST 2004


Related to a problem I had earlier:

I am trying to set up a network installation of FreeBSD. I have a couple
of other problems with this process but one of the most stubborn is
getting a custom kernel to boot.

If I take kernel.gz and mfsroot.gz from the boot floppies and put those in
the NFS share for the PXE boot then the isntallation proceeds correctly
through the normal boot floppy sequence.

I want to avoid being prompted for a driver disk and things like that so I
want to be able to boot my own kernel. I have taken a kernel from an
identical system, copied it to the NFS share, and then copied my modules
to the mfsroot image. Even though I do not use the modules I figured I
would stick them in the mfsroot just to be sure.

When I attempt to boot the new kernel I get errors about being unable to
load each module, and the kernel ends up hanging.

I have tried using my own kernel with the stock modules directory and I
have made sure to compile in everything I can think of in the kernel.

Can anyone shed some light on the kernel options required for a PXE boot
image or why I am getting module loading errors?

Thanks in advance,
-Don


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