network boot Asus M2NPV-VM

[cliff]

I switched from a hybrid core to a dedicated core.  I was changing the ASUS into a diskless media director, but can't seem to get it to network boot.  I am already booting a couple of diskless media directors on the network so I know the core is assigning ip addresses..  I've checked all of the network cables using a cable tester.  Everything checks out as okay.  I took for granted it had something to do with bios settings, but I can't find a combination that will allow the network boot. 

[darrenmason]

Cliff,

When you say it won't network boot how far exactly is it getting?
Is it trying to network boot and failing?
Is it getting a DHCP response?

If it looks like it is contacting the DHCP server and then not downloading the kernel from the network etc, you might want to check the DHCP settings as essentially the MAC address for each network device is assigned an IP address. It is possible to have IP addresses just allocated normally (without network boot) and if you have used this machine previously like this then it remembers that it is not a network bootable MD and just gives it it's expected IP address but nothing more.

I think that the 'Setup diskless Media Directors' button in web admin will fix this by recreating the dhcp conf files - but if not you might have to manually remove the entries for the MAC address and let it work itself out again.

Hope that made some sort of sense .....

regards
Darren

[cliff]

I followed your suggestions.  I did get the setup screen and went through the setup.  Everything seemed to be going well until the end.  I got the menu screen with tabs and a button to push labeled mediastation (I believe that what it said hard to read on the lcd tv).  Pushing the button only resulted in a message saying that the mediastation could not be started.  This unit is an linuxmce blessed motherboard and processor.  Any ideas?

[darrenmason]

I think that you are describing the launchmanager... in which case you certainly don't have a problem with network booting (at least any more).

Typically on a Media Director the launch manager will start an on screen orbiter. The first time you startup it can take some time - perhaps you just didn't give it long enough.

Boot the machine and give it a while to startup (this will speed up subsequently). If you are still getting a failure, then it might be time to check some logs.

Try again and describe exactly what happens....

[orionsune]

I had a problem with network booting I believe may be related here.

Initially, when I booted my MD, and it went through the setup process, I had pre-maturely rebooted the MD.  It was the first attempt at using a diskless MD, and I though the md had locked up because it had halfway started to setup, but then stopped at this one spot.  I seriously thought the thing was locked up, so I restarted it, when it came back up, setup had only halfway constructed the filesystem for the MD so I got some pretty random results when it tried to startup into KDE, and ultimately the orbiter.

It sounds like the MD's setup was incomplete.  Try deleting the device from the device catalog and re-try the MD, this time, boot it and walk away.  I had to walk away from mine.

[cliff]

Thanks a million.  It worked!  This is a lot of fun and frustration.  Crying one day and rejoicing the next.  Thanks to you and everybody else for the help.

[orionsune]

No problem... and for the fun AND frustration... you are absolutely right.  I don't know why I keep working with lmce as frustrated as it gets me, but like you said, once it starts working it's fun.