[gPXE] Dual-ROM BIOS woes

[Elisamuel Resto]

On 4/4/10 10:28 AM, Geert Stappers wrote:
> Op 20100403 om 14:36 schreef Elisamuel Resto:
>> Hello all!
>>
>> I've been trying to replace the option ROM on a AMI BIOS ROM for a
>> X7SLA-H on the Supermicro 5015A-H server, to no avail.
>>
>> What happens is that only one ROM can be replaced, the other one can
>> only be deleted, and no more than one can be added.
>>
>> Is there a way to replace both option ROM's for the NIC's? does one
>> option ROM work for both and having both by default is just because it
>> comes from manufacturer? Anyone ever done the PXE option ROM replaced on
>> one of these boards?
>>
>> This is the server's product page, the BIOS in question is the 1.0a from
>> this link:
>> http://www.supermicro.com/products/system/1U/5015/SYS-5015A-H.cfm?typ=H
> 
> 
>  From that link:  BIOS Type : 8Mb Flash EEPROM with AMI BIOS
> 
> My educated guess is that it is one single memory device.
> 
> That only ROM chip has to contain program code for both the "standard
> ROM" and the "option ROM", which implies restrictions that now are
> encountered.

Yeah, I know that much.

> However, I think it can be done. Create one single image that contains
> two options ROMs and feed that image to the BIOS update utility.
> But that is the optimist in me.

That is what I was asking about, since no tool I can use (MMTool) can
insert two Option ROM's of the same VID:DID on it.

> The realist in me says to start with an image that contians one gPXE
> option ROM. With some luck it handles both NICs in the computer.
> If only one NIC is supported, one can netboot from that NIC.

See, that worked but really bursts the nice dual-option ROM the BIOS ROM
comes with by default, it would be nice if one could replace BOTH, but
given my results with existing utilities which are gathering RUST and no
new ones being available, I guess that's the limit.

-- 
Elisamuel Resto <ryuji at simplysam.us>
http://simplysam.us || http://sourcemage.org