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| * If you want to run apps locally, well how long is a piece of string? Netscape will need say another 16MB. It all depends. Whatever you do, it's worth trimming down on the services you run on the client. Don't run more virtual consoles than you need and don't run unneeded daemons. | * If you want to run apps locally, well how long is a piece of string? Netscape will need say another 16MB. It all depends. Whatever you do, it's worth trimming down on the services you run on the client. Don't run more virtual consoles than you need and don't run unneeded daemons. | ||
| * As for the server, in the X-terminal case this has all the applications running on it, so it should be adequate for the multiuser aspect. A high-end Pentium, with 64 MB of memory to start with, and between 8 and 16MB for each extra client is a good starting point. It will also depend on your mix of client access, statistically perhaps not everybody will be running at the same time. Remember that you don't have to have one big server for all your clients, you can and you should distribute the load across servers. | * As for the server, in the X-terminal case this has all the applications running on it, so it should be adequate for the multiuser aspect. A high-end Pentium, with 64 MB of memory to start with, and between 8 and 16MB for each extra client is a good starting point. It will also depend on your mix of client access, statistically perhaps not everybody will be running at the same time. Remember that you don't have to have one big server for all your clients, you can and you should distribute the load across servers. | ||
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| ==== Other client applications ==== | ==== Other client applications ==== | ||
| * How can I print to a printer attached to a diskless client? | * How can I print to a printer attached to a diskless client? | ||
| - | * There is a server program called p910nd at the Etherboot web site that funnels data from a TCP/IP connection to the printer port. You can instruct lpd or CUPS on the server to send jobs across the network to p910nd. | + | * There is a server program called [[http://www.etherboot.org/p910nd/|p910nd]] at the Etherboot web site that funnels data from a TCP/IP connection to the printer port. You can instruct lpd or [[http://www.cups.org/|CUPS]] on the server to send jobs across the network to p910nd. |
| * How can I output sound on the client? | * How can I output sound on the client? | ||
| - | * There is a package called virtualfs that proxies the sound devices across the network. It can also proxy the floppy drive. | + | * There is a package called [[http://www.solucorp.qc.ca/|virtualfs]] that proxies the sound devices across the network. It can also proxy the floppy drive. |
| - | * Another solution is EsounD | + | * Another solution is [[http://www.tux.org/~ricdude/EsounD.html|EsounD]] |
| - | * You may wish to check the LTSP site and mailing lists for other proposed solutions. | + | * You may wish to check the [[http://www.ltsp.org/|LTSP site]] and mailing lists for other proposed solutions. |
| * How can I access the floppy on the client? | * How can I access the floppy on the client? | ||
| - | * Besides virtualfs mentioned above, recent distributions of mtools have a floppyd. This only works with the mtools utilities though. | + | * Besides virtualfs mentioned above, recent distributions of [[http://wauug.erols.com/pub/knaff/mtools/|mtools]] have a floppyd. This only works with the mtools utilities though. |
| ==== Booting FreeBSD ==== | ==== Booting FreeBSD ==== | ||
| * Where are the instructions for booting FreeBSD? | * Where are the instructions for booting FreeBSD? | ||
| * For now, there is just a short document in the doc directory. Better versions of this document depend on contributions from the FreeBSD community, I am unable to test FreeBSD because I don't run it. | * For now, there is just a short document in the doc directory. Better versions of this document depend on contributions from the FreeBSD community, I am unable to test FreeBSD because I don't run it. | ||
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| ==== Booting other operating systems (DOS, Windows) ==== | ==== Booting other operating systems (DOS, Windows) ==== | ||
| * I want to boot FreeDOS. | * I want to boot FreeDOS. | ||
| - | * The new mknbi utility supports creating boot images from FreeDOS kernels now. See the man page for details. FreeDOS is under development and if the layout of the kernel image changes, please send any corrections to me. | + | * The new ''mknbi'' utility supports creating boot images from FreeDOS kernels now. See the [[mknbi|man page]] for details. FreeDOS is under development and if the layout of the kernel image changes, please send any corrections to me. |
| * I cannot boot DR-DOS 7.03. | * I cannot boot DR-DOS 7.03. | ||
| * There is some difference between the DR-DOS 7.03 and 7.02 bootblock that causes it not to boot. But a 7.02 bootblock works just as well with the DR-DOS 7.03 kernel, so you can substitute that. | * There is some difference between the DR-DOS 7.03 and 7.02 bootblock that causes it not to boot. But a 7.02 bootblock works just as well with the DR-DOS 7.03 kernel, so you can substitute that. | ||
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| * Use the /testmem:off option to prevent HIMEM from scribbling over the ramdisk which is the floppy A:. | * Use the /testmem:off option to prevent HIMEM from scribbling over the ramdisk which is the floppy A:. | ||
| * How do I make A: my real floppy again after booting is complete? | * How do I make A: my real floppy again after booting is complete? | ||
| - | * Use the rmrd.com program supplied with mknbi. | + | * Use the ''rmrd.com'' program supplied with [[mknbi|''mknbi'']]. |
| * I want to use the real floppy at the same time I am using the ramdisk image of the boot floppy. | * I want to use the real floppy at the same time I am using the ramdisk image of the boot floppy. | ||
| - | * The ''--harddisk'' option of ''mknbi-dos'' is intended for this. It causes your boot drive to be C:, so you can use A: for the real floppy. See the man page for more details | + | * The ''--harddisk'' option of ''mknbi-dos'' is intended for this. It causes your boot drive to be C:, so you can use A: for the real floppy. See the [[mknbi|man page]] for more details |
| * I want to boot Windows. | * I want to boot Windows. | ||
| * I pass on this one, as I do not have (by choice) any Windows systems running on my computers. Perhaps others can contribute to this section. However I gather that it is only possible on Windows95A, as other versions don't have the necessary support for diskless booting. | * I pass on this one, as I do not have (by choice) any Windows systems running on my computers. Perhaps others can contribute to this section. However I gather that it is only possible on Windows95A, as other versions don't have the necessary support for diskless booting. | ||
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| ==== Hardware issues ==== | ==== Hardware issues ==== | ||
| * Where can I get an EPROM made? | * Where can I get an EPROM made? | ||
| * Depending on where you live, you might find a supplier listed on the Commercial Links page. Another possibility is to seek the help of someone working in a university or industrial lab who has an EPROM programmer. If you are handy with hardware, you could buy a kit or build your own. There are links to kit suppliers in the Commercial Links part of the home page. | * Depending on where you live, you might find a supplier listed on the Commercial Links page. Another possibility is to seek the help of someone working in a university or industrial lab who has an EPROM programmer. If you are handy with hardware, you could buy a kit or build your own. There are links to kit suppliers in the Commercial Links part of the home page. | ||
| * Some high end adapters, for example the 3Com and Intel ones, accept an EEPROM in the socket. This can be programmed in-situ using utility programs, some of which or information about are under the contrib directory in the Etherboot distribution. | * Some high end adapters, for example the 3Com and Intel ones, accept an EEPROM in the socket. This can be programmed in-situ using utility programs, some of which or information about are under the contrib directory in the Etherboot distribution. | ||
| - | * Finally some recent motherboard have flash BIOSes which contain space where an extension BIOS such as Etherboot can be inserted. The Phoenix Award BIOSes can be modified using a program called cbrom.exe possibly here. Or do a Web search for it. No success has been reported for AMI BIOSes. Dirk von Suchodoletz maintains a list of successes and failures here. | + | * Finally some recent motherboard have flash BIOSes which contain space where an extension BIOS such as Etherboot can be inserted. The Phoenix Award BIOSes can be modified using a program called [[http://www.ping.be/bios|''cbrom.exe'']] possibly here. Or do a Web search for it. No success has been reported for AMI BIOSes. Dirk von Suchodoletz maintains a list of successes and failures [[http://goe.net/anleitungen/award_board.html|here]]. |
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| + | (AMH2006:) Information about [[biosmodule|flashing EtherBoot into your BIOS]] is also available on a separate wiki page. | ||
| Here is some text contributed by Dirk von Suchodoletz. He hopes to put it on a web site someday: | Here is some text contributed by Dirk von Suchodoletz. He hopes to put it on a web site someday: | ||
| <file> | <file> | ||
| Line 486: | Line 493: | ||
| </file> | </file> | ||
| * How do I enable the ROM socket on my network adapter? There are no jumpers on the card. | * How do I enable the ROM socket on my network adapter? There are no jumpers on the card. | ||
| - | * These jumperless cards need a card-specific utility program to enable the ROM. Normally the manufacturer supplies it on a diskette or CDROM. You lost the diskette? If you know the manufacturer, you might be able to get the program from their website. You have a mystery card? Well the first thing to do is to identify the card. If it is an ISA card and made in Taiwan or China it's almost certainly a NE2000 clone. For some information, try here. If it's a PCI card, then either the BIOS or the Linux PCI Utilities should be able to tell you the manufacturer and device IDs, which you can then look up to convert to names. | + | * These jumperless cards need a card-specific utility program to enable the ROM. Normally the manufacturer supplies it on a diskette or CDROM. You lost the diskette? If you know the manufacturer, you might be able to get the program from their website. You have a mystery card? Well the first thing to do is to identify the card. If it is an ISA card and made in Taiwan or China it's almost certainly a NE2000 clone. For some information, try [[http://www.geocities.com/ken_yap_aus/|here]]. If it's a PCI card, then either the BIOS or the [[http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~mj/pciutils.shtml|Linux PCI Utilities]] should be able to tell you the manufacturer and device IDs, which you can then look up to convert to names. |
| * I would like to boot my laptop diskless from a floppy containing Etherboot. | * I would like to boot my laptop diskless from a floppy containing Etherboot. | ||
| * The problem is that laptops these days use PCMCIA network adapter cards. These in turn connect to the PCMCIA controller when docked. To be able to communicate with the PCMCIA card, Etherboot would first have to talk to the PCMCIA controller. Until somebody writes the code to do this... Booting from disk is different because the kernel will load the PCMCIA controller code from disk first. You could always put a Linux kernel on the boot floppy. | * The problem is that laptops these days use PCMCIA network adapter cards. These in turn connect to the PCMCIA controller when docked. To be able to communicate with the PCMCIA card, Etherboot would first have to talk to the PCMCIA controller. Until somebody writes the code to do this... Booting from disk is different because the kernel will load the PCMCIA controller code from disk first. You could always put a Linux kernel on the boot floppy. | ||
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| ==== Drivers ==== | ==== Drivers ==== | ||
| * There is no Etherboot driver for my network adapter. Can you write me one? | * There is no Etherboot driver for my network adapter. Can you write me one? | ||
| - | * If I were independently wealthy and had nothing else to do in life, sure! But unfortunately I have a day job and Etherboot is a hobby. A couple of the drivers were written for pay and the others were written by volunteers. Perhaps you might like to volunteer? If you have a good grasp of C, and understand basic hardware concepts, it is quite doable, and not nearly as difficult as writing a Linux device driver. See the developer manual. You will have the reward of understanding hardware intimately and seeing your work benefit users worldwide. | + | * If I were independently wealthy and had nothing else to do in life, sure! But unfortunately I have a day job and Etherboot is a hobby. A couple of the drivers were written for pay and the others were written by volunteers. Perhaps you might like to volunteer? If you have a good grasp of C, and understand basic hardware concepts, it is quite doable, and not nearly as difficult as writing a Linux device driver. See the [[dev:devmanual|developer manual]]. You will have the reward of understanding hardware intimately and seeing your work benefit users worldwide. |
| - | * If you are a commercial entity, you might consider assigning staff or hiring a volunteer to write the driver. You get the benefit of the rest of the Etherboot code infrastructure and users worldwide get to appreciate your contribution. Bear in mind license conditions detailed in the Section called License, of course. NIC manufacturers note, this may be one way to attract users to your hardware products. NIC users note, petition your NIC manufacturer to support Etherboot. | + | * If you are a commercial entity, you might consider assigning staff or hiring a volunteer to write the driver. You get the benefit of the rest of the Etherboot code infrastructure and users worldwide get to appreciate your contribution. Bear in mind license conditions detailed in the [[#license|License section]], of course. NIC manufacturers note, this may be one way to attract users to your hardware products. NIC users note, petition your NIC manufacturer to support Etherboot. |
| * I see that my network adapter is supported in Linux but not in Etherboot. Can I use the Linux driver in Etherboot? Or maybe you can adapt the Linux source for me. I can send you the Linux driver source if you just say the word. | * I see that my network adapter is supported in Linux but not in Etherboot. Can I use the Linux driver in Etherboot? Or maybe you can adapt the Linux source for me. I can send you the Linux driver source if you just say the word. | ||
| * No, the structure of Linux and Etherboot drivers are rather different. There are several reasons: Linux drivers are more complicated and written to give good performance, whereas Etherboot drivers are written to be simple. Linux drivers are interrupt driven, whereas Etherboot drivers are polling. Linux drivers have an elaborate support structure, whereas Etherboot drivers are fairly self-standing. | * No, the structure of Linux and Etherboot drivers are rather different. There are several reasons: Linux drivers are more complicated and written to give good performance, whereas Etherboot drivers are written to be simple. Linux drivers are interrupt driven, whereas Etherboot drivers are polling. Linux drivers have an elaborate support structure, whereas Etherboot drivers are fairly self-standing. | ||
| * But... you can use Linux drivers as a source of reverse-engineering information. Several of the drivers in Etherboot were adapted from Linux drivers. But don't send me the driver source; see previous FAQ about volunteering. And I have the latest Linux source anyway, doesn't everyone? | * But... you can use Linux drivers as a source of reverse-engineering information. Several of the drivers in Etherboot were adapted from Linux drivers. But don't send me the driver source; see previous FAQ about volunteering. And I have the latest Linux source anyway, doesn't everyone? | ||
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| ==== Miscellaneous ==== | ==== Miscellaneous ==== | ||
| * I don't understand something, or I have a question not covered by this list. | * I don't understand something, or I have a question not covered by this list. | ||
| - | * Please see the Section called Getting help earlier in this document. | + | * Please see the Section called [[#getting_help|Getting help]] earlier in this document. |
