FreeBSD diskless workstation boot over Linux PXE server

[vincenzo romero]

>  Did you modify rc.conf, fstab and resolv.conf as described in
>  http://www.locolomo.org/pub/pxeboot/diskless.html?

yes:

1.  fstab:

 cat fstab
# Device                                        Mountpoint      FStype
 Options         Dump    Pass#
192.168.16.5:/export/images/freeBSD             /               nfs
 rw              0       0
proc                                            /proc           procfs
 rw              0       0

** Note - it is for our test/dev environment - it's ok to have entire
root RW for us; no need to secure the environment.

2.  rc.conf:  (I am assuming, the above mentioned note indicates to
edit the /etc/rc.conf file (not the /etc/defaults/rc.conf)

 cat rc.conf

# -- sysinstall generated deltas -- # Mon Mar  3 09:08:29 2008
# Created: Mon Mar  3 09:08:29 2008
# Enable network daemons for user convenience.
# Please make all changes to this file, not to /etc/defaults/rc.conf.
# This file now contains just the overrides from /etc/defaults/rc.conf.
hostname="Freebsdtest"
ifconfig_nfe0="DHCP"
inetd_enable="YES"
moused_enable="YES"
sshd_enable="YES"

 rc.conf for diskless clients
#
# System daemons:
#
sendmail_submit_enable="NO"     # Do not enable local delivery or outbound
sendmail_outbound_enable="NO"   # sendmail daemon. This disables sendmail
sendmail_msp_queue_enable="NO"  # completely on the client.
cron_enable="NO"                # Cron should run on the server
#
# File systems
#
# root_rw_mount="NO"              # Root is exported read only
background_fsck="NO"            # NEVER run fsck on nfs mounted partitions
nfs_client_enable="YES"         # The diskless client is an NFS client
tmpmfs="NO"                     # We mount /var and /tmp as NFS partitions
varmfs="NO"                     #
cleanvar_enable="YES"           # Clean the /var directory (this is default)
clear_tmp_enable="YES"          # Clear /tmp at startup.
clear_tmp_X="YES"               # Clear and recreate X11-related directories
#
# Scripts run at startup only
#
newsyslog_enable="NO"           # Logging to server
update_motd="NO"                # Root file system is read only
#####

**Note:  I also comment'ed out the root_rw_mounted = NO - because I
would like to export root as RW - assuming default is YES;  or should
I have just changed NO value to YES (will try that too).

>And what's hiding
>  behind "etc. etc."?
>

Basically, I just meant to say, "etcetera" vis a vis the console error
messages  .... to reiterate, the console messages where initial error
occurs appears are follows:

NFS ROOT:  192.168.16.5:/export/images/freeBSD
nfe0:  link state change to UP
Interface nfe0 IP_Address 192.168.16.5 ... . . . . ..
Loading Configuration files.
rc.conf:  not found
No Suitable dump device was found .
Entropy harvesting:  interrupts ethernet point_to_point kickstart.
Starting file system checks:
mount_nfs: can't update /var/db/mounttab for 192.168.16.5:/export/images/freeBSD

Setting hostuuid: .....
Setting hostid: ....
Mounting local file systems.
Setting hostname: ....
net.inet6.ip6.net_unlocal: 1->0
rc.conf: not found
|
|

3.  Yes, resolv.conf points to our DNS; it contains same as other
working hosts within our lab.

..... Thank you for the response and patience;  I truly appreciate all
the help and pointers.

Thanks in advanced.

>  Erik
>


On Tue, Mar 4, 2008 at 2:10 AM, Erik Cederstrand <erik at cederstrand.dk> wrote:
>
> vincenzo romero wrote:
>  > Thank you for the input from a couple of folks.  After a few research
>  > and readings I am able to boot off a diskless client; and have a
>  > little error encountered.  To clarify the environment:
>  >
>  > 1.  PXE/DHCP/NFS/TFTP servers is a linux host
>  > 2.  DHCP - server - dhcpd.conf file shows the following: (for my
>  > freeBSD diskless client testing scenario)
>  >
>  > filename "pxeboot";
>  > next-server 192.168.16.5;
>  > option root-path "192.168.16.5:/export/images/freeBSD";
>  >
>  > -- pxeboot is the freeBSD /boot/pxeboot file I copied over to my
>  > /tftpboot directory.
>  > -- next server IP is the PXE/TFTPD/DHCP server ...
>  > -- the NFS root is exported by the NFS server as such.
>  >
>  > .... The client seems to boot properly - acquires an IP address;
>  > downloads and reads the /tftpboot/pxeboot file;  .... a message also
>  > appears that indicates it mounted the root File system: (snippet of
>  > console messages:)
>  >
>  > NFS ROOT:  192.168.16.5:/export/images/freeBSD
>  > nfe0:  link state change to UP
>  > Interface nfe0 IP_Address 192.168.16.5 ... . . . . ..
>  > Loading Configuration files.
>  > rc.conf:  not found
>  > No Suitable dump device was found .
>  > |
>  > etc.
>  > etc.
>



-- 
best,

Vince