Net Boot issues

[krys]

Hey guys need a little more help. I have this in another thread but its under a different title. I am trying to net boot for the first time to a clean install from DVD core unit. It has 2 NIC's one External, the other internal connected to a NetGear Wireless Router. The two different PC's that I have tried to net boot both get hung at the same spot every time although it seems a different spot for each. Here is the last messages that come across before they freeze or restart.

(PC 1)
RUNNING DHCP_config.sh
then it said md stopping all devices and just restarts the process all over again, getting hung at the same spot.

(PC 2)
/init: .: 1: Can't open /tmp/net-eth0.conf
[34.615491] Kernel Panic-not syncing: Attempted to kill init!

Here is how my Core has the NIC's Listed
eth0 192.168.80.1 Manual
eth1 192.168.2.2 dhcp

from what I have read these might be transversed but I am not sure how to go about fixing it, switch the cables (couldnt be that easy)?

So any ideas?
Thanks,
Krys

[eNoodle]

Hey krys,

I had the same issue with some of my onboard NICs. In all cases they were not recognized after the initial boot up, so I had to add the modules for this card manually to the module list. Have a look at this wiki entry, especially at the last section:

http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/PXE

Regards,
eNoodle

[krys]

I got the first MD to boot late last night, I ended up just reinstalling the core from the DVD. Possibly unneccesary but afterwards my first MD booted immediately. However, the 2nd MD still freezes at the same spot (this is the one with the Kernel Panic). I checked that wiki guide and under /usr/pluto/diskless I only have one folder and its #33 which corresponds to the first MD that I have booting now. The wiki says to go into the folder of the MD that you are having problems with, but there is no folder yet.

[krys]

I also got my NIC's switched up so they are labeled properly, still having the same kernel panic issue from MD 2

[colinjones]

I'm watching this thread too, as I have the same issue with a R8111C ethernet chip. You are correct, there will not be a diskless image on your core yet as it hasn't even got as far as kicking that process off. I believe the wiki is referring to an earlier version when you manually created the diskless image beforehand.

Somehow we need to get the ethernet driver into the initramfs boot image, otherwise as soon as the boot process switches from the BIOS's PXE NIC driver to Linux's the link drops, or the kernel panics because it hasn't got the right driver.

[krys]

Here is what I have gathered so far from a PM I will post it here for everyones enjoyment. Right now I am just trying to make sense of it all.
There is also a link at the bottom of this wiki to another wiki worth checking out.

Hi Krys,

Look here; http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Realtek_8168

It sounds to me like your NIC is not supported by the initramfs ie the driver for it is not there. The Wiki page above describes the process of adding support for a specific NIC to the initramfs. You need to find out what NIC your Laptop uses for the wired connection and then add the appropriate Linux driver for it.

[krys]

well crap, I gave it a valiant effort but had no success. I cant find a kernel module for the NIC that I have. Its a Mavell (Yukon 88E8040), so i tried to follow the wiki

http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Realtek_8168

and compile and hack my own but I couldnt get past midway through the hack process. I guess its back to the drawing board or wait until there is a module available for this NIC.

[totallymaxed]

well crap, I gave it a valiant effort but had no success. I cant find a kernel module for the NIC that I have. Its a Mavell (Yukon 88E8040), so i tried to follow the wiki

The driver offered here on the Marvell site might be suitable; http://www.marvell.com/drivers/driverDisplay.do?driverId=204

All the best

Andrew

[krys]

yeah thats the one I found last night, but dont I have to convert it somehow into a kernel module... thats the part I couldnt handle last night.

[mazdaracer]

Noobie here! Installed the core onto an AMD box running an old G200 video card. Had problems initially until I found a driver on the Nvidia site and installed it. So far ok. I'm trying to test out the netboot side with a Toshiba laptop. Now I'm not at all 100% sure that I had set up the room/user/device properly. That's one area of documentation that is pretty vague, not to mention I'm pretty dense. In looking at reply #2, where it's mentioned that looking in /usr/pluto/diskless for a file, I don't even have a diskless dir.

The laptop, does see the IP and seems to start, but at the 20s mark, while I get the msg: eth0:link up:100Mbps:full-duplex:lpa 0x41E1, which looks good. Then 20s later: NETDEV:WATCHDOG: eth0: transmit timed out, this then repeats at ever increasing time intervals.

I have started Kubuntu from the CD on that laptop w/o issues, so I'm thinking that there must be something else, but I don't think, from what I've read on this thread, that it's a NIC problem. The laptop seems to pick up 192.168.80.1 unless that's a display indicating where it's coming from. So if that's the case it may well be a NIC issue of the driver.

my local net -- eth1-CORE
laptop --------- eth0--^

[krys]

I can tell you this from my experience... if you have your core set up properly and a recognized NIC on the MD, there is no set up needed. It is a simple matter of setting the MD to boot from the network, which it looks like you have successfully done. Check under the admin website advanced/network settings and see what it has for your NIC's on your core. If you have two NIC's set up on your core eth0 should say DHCP, and eth1 should say 192.168.80.1, if they are the other way around you need to click on the swap button.
If you want to check for your diskless setup's from inside the admin website you can click on the devices tab, if your MD has made it far enough along in the boot process you will see a template for it.

[mazdaracer]

Thank you Krys!  I did switch the eth cards as you suggested. The core rebooted ok but I'm still getting the same msg - transmit timed out. Cash poor for a while so until I can get a proper MD built, I'm just experimenting step be step to get something going. Suggestions welcome!

[krys]

I am still trying to work this out and I have followed the wiki to the point where I need to run Diskless_builddefaultimage.sh
When I type this in from the shell it tells me that access is denied. I tried to run it by typing sudo Diskless_BuildDefaultImage.sh
and it asks for my password then says command not found or something of that nature.

Any ideas? am I using the sudo command improperly?

Here is the wiki i am using
http://wiki.linuxmce.org/index.php/Unrecognized_NIC

The module that I need for my NIC is the e100

[seth]

 
I am not sure here, but I know it has been posted a bunch of times. I thought that eth0 was to be outward (internet, or internet/router) facing, and eth1 was to be the internal (your house) facing. Is it possible that something is getting switched. I see from here:

Here is how my Core has the NIC's Listed
eth0 192.168.80.1 Manual
eth1 192.168.2.2 dhcp

from what I have read these might be transversed but I am not sure how to go about fixing it, switch the cables (couldnt be that easy)?

So any ideas?
Thanks,
Krys

And yes it could be that easy 

And here:

my local net -- eth1-CORE
laptop --------- eth0--^

Also @ mazdaracer, I am not sure if all NIC's can automatically crossover an internal cable connection. If you are plugging your laptop directly into your core's NIC, you may need a crossover cable, or a switch , to get it going w/out the timeouts.

Just a thought.

Regards,

Seth

[krys]

I successfully added the e100 module and ran Diskless_BuildDefaultImage.sh, however this MD still runs into the kernel panic. I used the same method on a different MD using the alt2 module and it worked as it should. Is there anything else that might cause this kernel panic?
I checked the Dell website using the service tag and verified that the e100 module was the correct one for this NIC.