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Quick and dirty guide to diskless workstations

filename "/tftpboot/vmlinuz.test";

}

}

[Note: change hardware ethernet to match your network card.

fixed-address represents the IP address assigned to the diskless node once

it boots up. filename is the location of the tagged kernel image.]

You may also need to create an empty dhcpd.leases file in the /var/state/dhcpd

directory.

Step #8:

Edit /etc/hosts to add an entry for the diskless node, for example:

192.168.0.100 banshee

Step #9:

Start the dhcp daemon on the server. Make sure it reports no errors.

# dhcpd

Step #10:

Boot the "diskless node" with the floppy ROM. Check to see that it finds

the DHCP server and loads the kernel using tftp.

Root FS Setup

-------------

Download lts_core from http://www.ltsp.org/download/index.html. The RPM/TGZ

contains a root file system which can be readily used. Alternatively you may

want to read NFS-Root-Client HOWTO for more detailed instructions on manually

creating your own root FS for the diskless node.

Step #11:

Copy ltsroot.tgz into /tftpboot

# tar xzpvf ltsroot.tgz

# cp -a ltsroot 192.168.0.100

# cd 192.168.0.100

# mkdir sbin

# cp /bin/umount ./bin

You should replace 192.168.0.100 with the IP address of the diskless

node. We shall add a local application (seti@home) that we want to run

on the diskless node. After copying setiathome.tar.gz into the

/tftpboot/192.168.0.100 directory,

# tar xzpvf setiathome.tar.gz

The above will create a seti@home directory containing the seti files.

Step #12:

Make a /etc/exports file containing the following entries,

/tftpboot/192.168.0.100 (rw,no_root_squash)

/usr (ro,no_root_squash)

/bin (ro,no_root_squash)

/sbin (ro,no_root_squash)

/lib (ro,no_root_squash)

Step #13:

Edit /tftpboot/192.168.0.100/etc/inittab,

change "id:5:initdefault:" to "id:3:initdefault:"

This will ensure that a bash prompt starts up.

Step #14:

Load nfs and export the shares,

# nfs start

# exportfs -ra

Step #15:

Reboot the diskless node. The system should startup and give you a bash prompt.

Run the seti@home software which is a local copy for the diskless node.

Step #16:

If you are happy with the settings, you should tell linux to startup