label freebsd-install
menu label FreeBSD Install
linux memdisk
initrd http://192.168.1.1/images/freebsd-install/bootonly.iso
append iso raw
recus said:Is it possible to boot a computer with PXE and go directly to sysinstall? The documentation I find is only on diskless clients, and demands a lot of work (building own root on a NFS-mount etc).
SirDice said:
Lookup of /dev for devfs, error: 2
init: not found in path
/sbin/init:/sbin/oinit:/sbin/init.bak:/rescue/init:/stand/sysinstall
load /boot/kernel/kernel
load -t mfs_root /boot/mfsroot
set vfs.root.mountfrom="ufs:/dev/md0"
boot
recus said:But - my goal is to get all this done without having to use NFS. Do you think it's possible?
The pxeboot bootloader retrieves the kernel, modules, and other files either via NFS over UDP or by TFTP, selectable through compile-time options.
The main disadvantage of using tftp to fetch a memory file system is that all clients will fetch the same files, load the same kernel and memory file system, regardless of hardware, version of FreeBSD or the purpose of the client.
jem said:This eliminates tftp as a possibility for me, as I'll want to use different kernels and mfsroot images for amd64 and i386 respectively.
OK show
LINES=24
acpi_load=YES
autoboot_delay=NO
boot.netif.gateway=192.168.0.1
boot.netif.hwaddr=08:00:c0:a8:00:52
boot.netif.ip=192.168.0.82
...
kernelname=/boot/kernel/kernel
recus said:Is it possible to boot a computer with PXE and go directly to sysinstall? The documentation I find is only on diskless clients, and demands a lot of work (building own root on a NFS-mount etc).
Trying to mount root from nfs: []...
fxp0: link state changed to DOWN
NFS ROOT: 192.168.1.2:/usr/local/pxeboot
fxp0: link state changed to UP
Interface fxp0 IP-Address 192.168.1.3 Broadcast 192.168.1.255
Entropy harvesting: interrupts ethernet point_to_point kickstart.
Starting file system checks:
mount_nfs: no <host>:<dirpath> nfs-name
Mounting root filesystem rw failed, startup aborted
ERROR: ABORTING BOOT (sending SIGTERM to parent!)
Jan 15 21:44:45 init: /bin/sh on /etc/rc terminated abnormally, going to singel user mode
Enter full pathname of shell or RETURN for /bin/sh:
wblock@ said:Network or NFS server problem?Code:mount_nfs: no <host>:<dirpath> nfs-name
A boot loader will have to load a memstick or CD image into memory on the target machine. You'll still have to have a PXE server, with at least TFTP and preferably HTTP for speed. And of course the target machine has to have enough RAM to hold the image and leave enough free to run the installer.
Syslinux seems to have filename length problems, so I renamed FreeBSD-8.2-RELEASE-i386-bootonly.iso to bootonly.iso. Otherwise, this just worked for me:
Code:label freebsd-install menu label FreeBSD Install linux memdisk initrd http://192.168.1.1/images/freebsd-install/bootonly.iso append iso raw
Change that initrd line to use tftp if that's all you have.
This was just thrown into the default menu file as shown in PXE Booting Utilities With FreeBSD.
label freebsd-install
menu label FreeBSD Install
linux memdisk
initrd http://192.168.1.11/FreeBSD-9.3-RELEASE-i386-bootonly.iso
append iso raw
initrd FreeBSD-9.3-RELEASE-i386-bootonly.iso
Trying to mount root from cd9660:/dev/iso9660/FREEBSD_INSTALL [ro]...
mountroot: waiting for device /dev/iso9660/FREEBSD_INSTALL ...
Mounting from cd9660:/dev/iso9660/FREEBSD_INSTALL failed with error 19.
Loader variables:
vfs.root.mountfrom=cd9660:/dev/iso9660/FREEBSD_INSTALL
vfs.root.mountfrom.options=ro