Hello, I would like to achieve this goal: - start bootloader using syslinux or isolinux from hard drive or CD (not pxe) - init network, get IP address somehow from DHCP - download kernel and initrd from FTP server (hosted on public internet) - boot it Is this currently possible with syslinux or isolinux? I can do it when I boot over PXE from network, using PXELINUX. But I would like to have the bootloader on disk for example, and load vmlinuz+initrd "from network", to avoid the need for pxe server at all. Thank you Tomas M
On Sun, May 8, 2016 at 3:56 AM, Tomas M via Syslinux <syslinux at zytor.com> wrote:> Hello, > > I would like to achieve this goal: > - start bootloader using syslinux or isolinux from hard drive or CD (not pxe) > - init network, get IP address somehow from DHCP > - download kernel and initrd from FTP server (hosted on public internet) > - boot it > > Is this currently possible with syslinux or isolinux?Directly, no, because the underlying PXE stack and network card haven't been initialized by the underlying BIOS or a full network card driver.> I can do it when I boot over PXE from network, using PXELINUX. > But I would like to have the bootloader on disk for example, and load > vmlinuz+initrd "from network", to avoid the need for pxe server at > all.Your closest bet is with iPXE/gPXE, likely loaded from SYSLINUX/ISOLINUX and either directly loading the kernel/initrd or loading PXELINUX off of a remote server. Several organizations have mini ISOs like this. https://boot.fedoraproject.org/ is an example -- -Gene
On 05/09/16 07:39, Gene Cumm via Syslinux wrote:> On Sun, May 8, 2016 at 3:56 AM, Tomas M via Syslinux <syslinux at zytor.com> wrote: >> Hello, >> >> I would like to achieve this goal: >> - start bootloader using syslinux or isolinux from hard drive or CD (not pxe) >> - init network, get IP address somehow from DHCP >> - download kernel and initrd from FTP server (hosted on public internet) >> - boot it >> >> Is this currently possible with syslinux or isolinux? > > Directly, no, because the underlying PXE stack and network card > haven't been initialized by the underlying BIOS or a full network card > driver. > >> I can do it when I boot over PXE from network, using PXELINUX. >> But I would like to have the bootloader on disk for example, and load >> vmlinuz+initrd "from network", to avoid the need for pxe server at >> all. > > Your closest bet is with iPXE/gPXE, likely loaded from > SYSLINUX/ISOLINUX and either directly loading the kernel/initrd or > loading PXELINUX off of a remote server. Several organizations have > mini ISOs like this. >Yes, iPXE is exactly what you want for this. gPXE is historic; let's not even talk about it. -hpa