I'm using syslinux for booting a thin client from USB key. It took just
over 1min (from reset button to 'Ready'), loading a 1.2M kernel and 2.0M
(approx.) initrd; about 55s of this was syslinux. Once the initrd
starts, it takes only about 1s to load the 5M image from the key, which
corresponds to the advertised 8MB/s read speed. This is using
syslinux-3.08pre5, USB-HDD booting, with the mbr.bin included in syslinux.
It's an award bios on a DFI AZ-30 TL micro atx board.
Now, I've tried a variety of keys with a couple of different motherboards
(also a biostar m/b w/ award bios). I also tried the 'grub' bootloader,
which was actually a bit slower (took several sec just to load grub).
Only once have I seen a 'fast' usb boot, on a newer Gateway desktop
machine - but that was just testing, I won't be building production
terminals from those.
Is the speed some kind of bios limitation? These m/b's all take
usb-uhci/1.1 drivers and ehci-hcd/2.0 drivers. The kernel/initrd load
speed seems even slower than usb-1.1 speeds. Any clues/tips appreciated.
The boot speed is acceptable, but I get the feeling I should be able to
boot these much faster (since the main image loads so fast, at usb 2.0
speeds).
regards,
David
--
David L. Parsley
Network Systems Administrator, Alfred University
"If I have seen further, it is by standing on ye shoulders of giants."
- Isaac Newton
