Syslinux - Mar 2005 - PXELINUX: Screen fills with garbage - Locks up

I am trying to use PXELinux on a large group of HP DL-140s.

First - I tried it with PXELinux 1.66. ON about 25% of the machines,
(all identical!) they would get to the "Loading" prompt and then
freeze.

I changed to 3.07 - now it goes beyond that, and I seem to get a line or
two of the periods when loading - but then the entire screen fills with
blinking, multicolored characters, like VGA text memory is being
overwritten. The system then freezes there.

I stepped down to version 2.11 (I think) and I get the same results.

Where do I go from here???

Thanks,

Brad Goodman 
Acopia Networks
bgoodman at  a c o p i a    d o t    c o m


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Clarification:

If I set "Prompt" to "1" in the config file, it drops me to
the prompt
just fine.

If I type "linux" (with or without optional kernel parameters) it
quickly prints about 10 or 20 dots, then blasts the screen with the
junk. So, It appears to be maybe loading it into the wrong memory
location?

Vitals:
 

PXELINUX 2.13 2004-12-14  Copyright (C) 1994-2004 H. Peter Anvin

UNDI data segment at:   00093940

UNDI data segment size: 4CB0

UNDI code segment at:   000985F0

UNDI code segment size: 49D0

PXE entry point found (we hope) at 985F:00D6



Any help would be appreciated, Thanks!

-BKG


DISCLAIMER:
--------------------------------------------------------
The information contained in this e-mail is confidential and is intended solely
for the review of the named addressee, and in conjunction with specific Acopia
Networks business.  Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of,
or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or
entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you are unable to
treat this information accordingly, or are not the intended recipient, please
notify us immediately by returning the e-mail to the originator.	Thank You

Brad Goodman wrote:
>I am trying to use PXELinux on a large group of HP DL-140s.
>
>First - I tried it with PXELinux 1.66. ON about 25% of the machines,
>(all identical!) they would get to the "Loading" prompt and then
freeze.
>
>I changed to 3.07 - now it goes beyond that, and I seem to get a line or
>two of the periods when loading - but then the entire screen fills with
>blinking, multicolored characters, like VGA text memory is being
>overwritten. The system then freezes there.
>
>I stepped down to version 2.11 (I think) and I get the same results.
>
>Where do I go from here???
>
>Thanks,
>
>Brad Goodman 
>Acopia Networks
>bgoodman at  a c o p i a    d o t    c o m
>  
>
try adding
     CONSOLE 0
to your config.

I used to see screen-junk like youve described, cuz my bios stuck escape 
sequences into
the serial line.
I use 8.08pre5 now, and that fixed it.
iirc 3.07 didnt, but that might have been incorrectly done on my part, I 
never went back to try it.

In my case, the system booted properly after spewing the garbage,
but the above might let you see whats going wrong.

hth.

Brad Goodman wrote:
>I am trying to use PXELinux on a large group of HP DL-140s.
>
>First - I tried it with PXELinux 1.66. ON about 25% of the machines,
>(all identical!) they would get to the "Loading" prompt and then
freeze.
>
>I changed to 3.07 - now it goes beyond that, and I seem to get a line or
>two of the periods when loading - but then the entire screen fills with
>blinking, multicolored characters, like VGA text memory is being
>overwritten. The system then freezes there.
>
>I stepped down to version 2.11 (I think) and I get the same results.
>
>Where do I go from here???
>
>Thanks,
>
>Brad Goodman 
>Acopia Networks
>bgoodman at  a c o p i a    d o t    c o m
>  
>
try adding
     CONSOLE 0
to your config.

I used to see screen-junk like youve described, cuz my bios stuck escape 
sequences into
the serial line.
I use 8.08pre5 now, and that fixed it.
iirc 3.07 didnt, but that might have been incorrectly done on my part, I 
never went back to try it.

In my case, the system booted properly after spewing the garbage,
but the above might let you see whats going wrong.

hth.