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Etherboot is a software package for creating ROM images that can
download code over an Ethernet network to be executed on an x86
computer. Many network adapters have a socket where a ROM chip can be
installed. Etherboot is code that can be put in such a ROM. Etherboot
is normally used for for booting PCs diskless. This is useful in
various situations, for example:
- An X-terminal.
- Clusters of compute servers.
- Routers.
- Various kinds of remote servers, e.g. a tape drive server that
can be accessed with the RMT protocol.
- Machines doing tasks in environments unfriendly to disks.
- A user platform where remote partitions are mounted over the network
and you are willing to accept the lower speed compared to disk.
- Maintaining software for a cluster of equally configured
workstations centrally.
Etherboot can boot computers faster than from a disk because there
are no delays in spinning up disks, etc. A moment's calculation will
show that even with a 10Mbit Ethernet, sending a 500kB kernel will take
only a couple of seconds typically. With 100Mbit Ethernet it gets even
better.
Compared to booting from solid-state devices, e.g. Flash disks,
Etherboot has the advantage of centralising software adminstration, the
tradeoff being the dependence on a server. This can be partly alleviated
by providing redundant servers.
Ethernet can work with RAM disks, NFS filesystems, or even local
disks, if desired. It's a component technology and can be combined with
other technologies to do things the way you want.
Etherboot is usually used to load Linux, FreeBSD or DOS. However the
protocol and boot file formats are general, so there is no reason why it
could not be used to load arbitrary images to a PC, including other
OSes.
Etherboot is Open Source under the GNU General Public License Version
2 (GPL2).
The components needed by Etherboot are
- A bootstrap loader, usually in an EPROM on a network card, or
installed in the flash BIOS, but could be put anywhere in the address
space the BIOS probes in. For testing this could be put on a floppy disk
or a hard disk partition. Some configurations may even be always run
from a floppy disk (e.g. temporary testing setups or pedagogic
uses).
- A DHCP or bootp server, for returning an IP address and other
information when sent a MAC (Ethernet card) address.
- A tftp server, for sending the kernel images and other files
required in the boot process. Alternatively, Etherboot can boot from an
NFS mount.
- A Linux or FreeBSD kernel.
- Optionally, a NFS server, for providing the disk partitions that will be
mounted if Linux or FreeBSD is being booted.
- Optionally, a RAM disk contained in the loaded image. This can be
the initial RAM disk if desired.
- Software tools for building the download image, and tools for
debugging.
The online and most
recent version of this page.
If you are viewing this document from a local directory and some
of the following links do not work, check that you have extracted the
documentation tarball in a subdirectory of the top directory called
doc.
A user-contribution
database of network card compatability information. Please help by
filling in information you have.
Download from here.
Etherboot is a volunteer project done in my spare time. Many
kind people have contributed in various ways, see the acknowledgement list. You can help in
various ways:
- Improve the documentation. Send me the changes if you feel
something is missing or can be improved.
- Enter hardware compatibility information into the NIC database.
- Try different variations on configurations and software. Send
me the documentation or a link to your Web page when you have
succeeded, of course. Here is a list of things
that have been suggested if you want some ideas.
- Spread the word about netbooting wherever you see a situation
which could use the technique.
- Write articles about your experiences with applications of
netbooting for conferences, journals or e-zines.
- Contribute any related software which can be put into
contrib/.
- Write drivers for more cards. See the Developers Manual for instructions.
- Offer to make EPROMs for people needing them.
News bulletins can be found at the Etherboot project
page.
For Etherboot user issues there is a users
mailing list. For Etherboot development issues there is developers
mailing list. Postings are not restricted to Etherboot issues, any
netbooting issue can be discussed. Archives of the lists are available,
follow the links for more details. Please do not ask me Etherboot
related questions by email, I will not reply directly. Use the mailing
lists instead. See the explanation for this
policy.
Another list available is the netboot list. You need to be on the
list to be able to post. To subscribe, send mail to
majordomo@baghira.han.de with the one line in the body:
subscribe netboot. Or you may try clicking
here. Newer browsers will automatically fill in the mail for you and
you only have to click on Send. If not, then type in the words
subscribe netboot yourself. If you post about a problem
to the Netboot mailing list, please be sure to mention if you are using
Etherboot or Netboot; they are different packages. An archive
of the mailing list is available.
Here are links
to related software or documentation.
These commercial
links are provided as is and do not imply endorsement of the services
or products mentioned by the Etherboot project.
Comments to Ken Yap.
Last modified 2001-05-04
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