[frgeek-michiana] Re: IBM NetVista 2800-EXX Thin Client help
- From: "Mike Cook" <mikecook@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <Einon@xxxxxxxxxx>, <frgeek-michiana@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 19:08:10 -0500
Tom forwarded your request to me as I did most of the original research on
how to boot the 2800 from the CF. We are still working on our howto,
Running LTSP on the NetVista 2800 Model 8364-TUS. In it we explain how we
took an IBM 8364-TUS (Token Ring), and got it to boot over a Ethernet
network using LTSP and loading the network boot code for the NIC from a
Compact Flash card. We hope to put it on the LTSP site and maybe submit to
The Linux Documentation Project perhaps as an extension to the NetVista
howto.
You will have to load the image of the kernel, an initrd filesystem (you
will want to run from a RAM disk to avoid wearing out the CF), and a boot
loader onto the CF. You must copy the image to the raw device, if you copy
the image to /dev/hda1 it will be on the first partition of hda, you want to
write the image to /dev/hda (without the 1) so that it will write the boot
sector as well. Also it sounds like you are not using Workspace on Demand, I
had a similar problem until I figured out where to set everything up in the
BIOS, it is a little confusing. I don't currently have a box at my disposal
(they are in a storeroom offsite) but, when I get a hold of one I'll look at
a little more. In the meantime here is what I think will get you going.
Additional Links:
Puppy Linux http://www.goosee.com/puppy/ a complete but small Linux distro
that fits on a 64M CF
This site has a good description of the process of putting Linux on a CF and
is a excellent small distro a bit of a memory hog though needs 128M of RAM
Linux Router Project,Personal Firewall, Step by Step, How to
http://www.pigtail.net/LRP/ The name says it all
This is the page on CF/HD installs http://www.pigtail.net/LRP/hd/index.html
Compact Flash Linux Project http://web.tvnetwork.hu/~krichy/cfdev/ and
http://freshmeat.net/projects/cflinux/?branch_id=47329&release_id=152102
Being developed on a 16M CF card, an early version (0.1.4-pre1), pretty
light on system software (uses Busybox), and I haven't tried it yet.
Load The Disk Image on the CF
Save a disk image to the CF flash chip using another machine. Be sure to dd
the image to the raw device, i.e. hdb or sda not hda1 or sda1) If you
write the image to the CF with a partition number after the device the CF
will not be bootable. The command to use if you are using a USB CF device
that is seen as the first drive on the SCSI bus (may not be, check first)
would be and if your image is in your current working directory is: "dd
if=image of=/dev/sda" (without the quotes)
Reset the password and BIOS
1. Turn off and unplug the 2800, network too
2. Move the jumper on the jumper block closest to the power switch on the
front to the other set of pins,
labeled PWD RESET or something close.
3. Plug it and start the system wait about 20 sec and shutdown
4. Unplug the system and move the jumper back.
5. Boot the system with the network unplugged. When the system cannot
connect to the network select
Workspace on Demand from the choices offered. The system should leave
you in the BIOS setup, if not
reboot and press F2 when prompted for the BIOS Setup.
Set The BIOS to boot from the CF
We used the following to set the BIOS parameters:
1. Reset BIOS defaults
2. Change the following:
a. Devices and I/O -> Network Setup -> Network Support = Disabled
(probably not necessary for you if you are using the onboard NIC)
b. Start Options -> Startup Sequence -> Primary Startup Sequence =>
First Startup Device = Hard Disk 0
c. Start Options -> Firmware Selection = Workspace on Demand
(very important, otherwise the 2800 will not attempt to boot from
the CF
d. Start Options -> Power-On Self Test = Quick
(Optional - speeds boot time but skips some memory testing)
e. Advanced Setup -> PCI Control -> Network Adapters = Enabled
3. Save Settings (Will also reboot system)
Let us know if this helps you.
Have a great day.
Mike Cook
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Brown"
To: "Mike Cook"
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2004 8:32 PM
Subject: Fwd: IBM NetVista 2800-EXX Thin Client help
Can you help this guy? I think he has an ethernet version with a different
bios than our TR boxes.
Tom
>Subject: IBM NetVista 2800-EXX Thin Client help
>From: Einon
>To: Tom Brown
>Organization: AnimeHQ Project
>
>Hoi!
>
>I found a tutorial that was written by you and two other guys.
>(//www.freelists.org/archives/frgeek-michiana/03-2004/msg00014.html)
>
>I bought a nc-2800 to serve as a router for a small LAN.
>With NetVista howto I managed to set it up. Now it downloads the kernel
>from tftp server and uses the CF card for root filesystem.
>Since this is the only machine that is working 7/24 it is problematic to
>download the kernel.
>In the NV's BIOS there is an option to boot from flash.
>I tried this option but all I get is an error while opening /kernel.2x00
>I created an VFAT partition at /dev/hda1 (hda is the CF card) and copied
>the kernel there (tried with MS-DOS fs too, but filesystem limitations
>prevented me to create a file with .2x00 extension).
>Still the same error.
>
>Do you have any idea? It would be a big help.
>
>Thanks in advance:
>--
>Siklósi Péter
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