NetBSD Diskless Installation

Introduction

Examples here use OpenBSD/sparc64 to provide DHCP, TFTP and NFS services for booting an x86 laptop in a diskless configuration.

Installation

As “root” on the server create the NetBSD distribution directories:

mkdir -p /usr/export/client/NetBSD-2.0.2/installation
mkdir /usr/export/client/NetBSD-2.0.2/binary

Choose a local mirror service. I used “ncftp” to download the release:

# cd /usr/export/client/NetBSD-2.0.2/
# ncftp ftp.plig.org
ftp] cd /pub/NetBSD/NetBSD-2.0.2/i386
ftp] mget -R *
ftp] cd /pub/NetBSD/NetBSD-2.0.2/shared/ALL
ftp] get misc.tgz
ftp] get man.tgz
ftp] exit

Setup the NFS directories on the server:

mkdir -p /usr/export/client/root/dev
mkdir /usr/export/client/usr
mkdir /usr/export/client/home
touch /usr/export/client/swap

The server “/etc/exports” file should read:

/usr/export/client/root -maproot=root:wheel    laptop.localnet
/usr/export/client/swap -maproot=root:wheel    laptop.localnet
/usr/export/client/usr  -maproot=nobody:nobody laptop.localnet
/usr/export/client/home -maproot=nobody:nobody laptop.localnet

Enable NFS and RPC on the server:

# vi /etc/rc.conf
nfs_server=YES
portmap=YES

Add the new host to the server’s “/etc/hosts” database:

10.0.0.2 laptop.localnet laptop

Setup the client filesystem:

cd /usr/export/client/root
tar -xvpzf /usr/export/client/NetBSD-2.0.2/binary/sets/base.tgz
tar -xvpzf /usr/export/client/NetBSD-2.0.2/binary/sets/comp.tgz
tar -xvpzf /usr/export/client/NetBSD-2.0.2/binary/sets/etc.tgz
tar -xvpzf /usr/export/client/NetBSD-2.0.2/binary/sets/games.tgz
tar -xvpzf /usr/export/client/NetBSD-2.0.2/man.tgz
tar -xvpzf /usr/export/client/NetBSD-2.0.2/misc.tgz
tar -xvpzf /usr/export/client/NetBSD-2.0.2/binary/sets/text.tgz
tar -xvpzf /usr/export/client/NetBSD-2.0.2/binary/sets/xbase.tgz
tar -xvpzf /usr/export/client/NetBSD-2.0.2/binary/sets/xcomp.tgz
tar -xvpzf /usr/export/client/NetBSD-2.0.2/binary/sets/xetc.tgz
tar -xvpzf /usr/export/client/NetBSD-2.0.2/binary/sets/xfont.tgz
tar -xvpzf /usr/export/client/NetBSD-2.0.2/binary/sets/xserver.tgz
mkdir /usr/export/client/root/kern
mkdir /usr/export/client/root/swap
mkdir /usr/export/client/root/home
dd if=/dev/zero of=/usr/export/client/swap bs=4k count=40k
cd /usr/export/client/root
tar -xvpzf /usr/export/client/NetBSD-2.0.2/binary/sets/kern-GENERIC.tgz
mknod /usr/export/client/root/dev/console c 0 0

Edit the new NetBSD system’s configuration in “/usr/export/client/root/etc” dir:

“fstab” should read:

10.0.0.1:/usr/export/client/swap   none  swap  sw,nfsmntpt=/swap
10.0.0.1:/usr/export/client/root   /     nfs   rw 0 0
10.0.0.1:/usr/export/client/usr    /usr  nfs   rw 0 0
10.0.0.1:/usr/export/client/home   /home nfs   rw 0 0

“ifconfig.fxp0″ (replace fxp0 with your network card type):

inet client netmask 255.255.255.0 broadcast 10.0.0.255

“rc.conf” requires this addition:

hostname="laptop"
defaultroute="10.0.0.1"
nfs_client=YES
auto_ifconfig=NO
net_interfaces=""

The “hosts” database should be populated with your LAN settings:

10.0.0.1        ultra5.localnet ultra5
10.0.0.2        laptop.localnet laptop
10.0.0.3        hppa.localnet   hppa
10.0.0.4        unix.localnet   unix

“resolv.conf” requires setting:

 nameserver 192.168.1.1

Move the new NetBSD “/usr” filesystem to the correct location:

mv /usr/export/client/root/usr/* /usr/export/client/usr/

Enable TFTP service on the server:

mkdir /tftpboot
cp /usr/export/client/usr/mdec/pxeboot_ia32.bin /tftpboot/

# vi /etc/rc.conf
inetd=YES
# vi /etc/inetd.conf
tftp            dgram   udp     wait    root    /usr/libexec/tftpd      tftpd -s /tftpboot

Enable DHCP service on the server:

# vi /etc/rc.conf
dhcpd_flags="-q"

Edit the server’s “/etc/dhcpd.interfaces” file:

fxp0

Edit the server’s “/etc/dhcpd.conf” file:

deny unknown-clients;
allow bootp;
subnet 10.0.0.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
}
        group {
        option broadcast-address 10.0.0.255;
        option domain-name "localnet";
        option domain-name-servers 192.168.1.1;
        option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
        host laptop.localnet {
                hardware ethernet 00:00:f0:79:0b:0e;
                # ***Replace above with your client MAC***
                fixed-address 10.0.0.2;            
                option host-name "laptop";
                filename "pxeboot_ia32.bin";
                next-server 10.0.0.1;      
                option root-path "/usr/export/client/root";
                }                                          
        }

I’ve had to rename the netbsd kernel file to “pxeboot_ia32.bin” to get the host to boot.

Although the above DHCPd configuration is far from perfect, It Seems To Work ™.

cp /usr/export/client/root/netbsd /usr/export/client/root/pxeboot_ia32.bin

Remove the NetBSD release files in the “/usr/export/client” dir.

rm -rf /usr/export/client/NetBSD-2.0.2

The server configuration is now comlete. Reboot the OpenBSD/sparc64 to let config changes take effect. On the laptop, I hit [F12] to launch netbooting procedures.

Upon first boot – the system should load single-user. Hit return for a shell:

cd /dev
/bin/sh MAKEDEV all
mount -a

# vi /etc/rc.conf
rc_configured=YES
# exit

passwd root

Perform any system configuration required as described in the NetBSD Guide. Basic setup is described in chapter five and six.

Configure startup:

# vi /etc/inetd.conf
inetd=NO
wscons=YES
sendmail=NO

Set keyboard encoding:

# vi /etc/wscons.conf
encoding=uk

Add a user account:

useradd -m -G wheel swm
passwd swm
reboot

Install PkgSrc:

ftp ftp://ftp.plig.org/pub/NetBSD/packages/pkgsrc.tar.gz
mv pkgsrc.tar.gz /usr
cd usr
tar -xvzf pkgsrc.tar.gz

Install some software:

cd /usr/pkgsrc/wm/windowmaker
make install
make clean clean-depends
cd /usr/pkgsrc/www/firefox
make install
make clean clean-depends
vi /etc/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm/Xsession

[near the end of this file, change "exec xsm" to "exec wmaker"]

# vi /etc/rc.conf
xdm=YES

Configure X11 (using xf86cfg). My Samsung V20 laptop (i845G) required:

Section "ServerLayout"
        Identifier     "XFree86 Configured"
        Screen      0  "Screen0" 0 0
        InputDevice    "Mouse0" "CorePointer"
        InputDevice    "Keyboard0" "CoreKeyboard"
EndSection

Section "Files"
        RgbPath      "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/rgb"
        ModulePath   "/usr/X11R6/lib/modules"
        FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/"
        FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/"
        FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/"
        FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/CID/"
        FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/"
        FontPath     "/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/"
EndSection

Section "Module"
        Load  "dbe"
        Load  "extmod"
        Load  "glx"
        Load  "record"
        Load  "xtrap"
        Load  "speedo"
        Load  "type1"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier  "Keyboard0"
        Driver      "keyboard"
        Option      "XkbRules" "xfree86"
        Option      "XkbModel" "pc105"
        Option      "XkbLayout" "gb"
EndSection

Section "InputDevice"
        Identifier  "Mouse0"
        Driver      "mouse"
        Option      "Protocol" "wsmouse"
        Option      "Device" "/dev/wsmouse"
EndSection

Section "Monitor"
        Identifier   "Monitor0"
        VendorName   "Monitor Vendor"
        ModelName    "Monitor Model"
        HorizSync    31.5 - 57.0
        VertRefresh  50.0 - 90.0
EndSection

Section "Device"

        ### Available Driver options are:-
        ### Values: : integer, : float, : "True"/"False",
        ### : "String", : " Hz/kHz/MHz"
        ### [arg]: arg optional
        #Option     "NoAccel"                   # []
        #Option     "SWcursor"                  # []
        #Option     "ColorKey"                  # 
        #Option     "CacheLines"                # 
        #Option     "Dac6Bit"                   # []
        #Option     "DRI"                       # []
        #Option     "NoDDC"                     # []
        #Option     "ShowCache"                 # []
        #Option     "XvMCSurfaces"              # 
        Identifier  "Card0"
        Driver      "i810"
        VendorName  "Intel Corp."
        BoardName   "82845G/GL [Brookdale-G] Chipset Integrated Graphics Device"
        ChipSet     "845G"
        BusID       "PCI:0:2:0"
EndSection

Section "Screen"
        Identifier "Screen0"
        Device     "Card0"
        Monitor    "Monitor0"
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     1
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     4
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     8
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     15
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     16
        EndSubSection
        SubSection "Display"
                Depth     24
        EndSubSection
EndSection

Once completed – the disks looks like this:

# df -h Filesystem Size Used Avail Capacity Mounted on 10.0.0.1:/usr/export/client/root 5.7G 1.5G 4.0G 27% / 10.0.0.1:/usr/export/client/usr 5.7G 1.5G 4.0G 27% /usr 10.0.0.1:/usr/export/client/home 5.7G 1.5G 4.0G 27% /home 10.0.0.1:/usr/export/client/swap 5.7G 1.5G 4.0G 27% /swap # mount 10.0.0.1:/usr/export/client/root on / type nfs 10.0.0.1:/usr/export/client/usr on /usr type nfs 10.0.0.1:/usr/export/client/home on /home type nfs 10.0.0.1:/usr/export/client/swap on /swap type nfs # dmesg NetBSD 2.0.2 (GENERIC) #0: Wed Mar 23 08:53:42 UTC 2005 jmc@faith.netbsd.org:/home/builds/ab/netbsd-2-0-2-RELEASE/i386/200503220140Z-obj /home/builds/ab/netbsd-2-0-2-RELEASE/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/GENERIC total memory = 246 MB avail memory = 234 MB BIOS32 rev. 0 found at 0xfd780 mainbus0 (root) cpu0 at mainbus0: (uniprocessor) cpu0: Intel Pentium 4 (686-class), 1994.22 MHz, id 0xf27 cpu0: features bfebf9ff cpu0: features bfebf9ff cpu0: features bfebf9ff cpu0: I-cache 12K uOp cache 8-way, D-cache 8 KB 64B/line 4-way cpu0: L2 cache 512 KB 64B/line 8-way cpu0: ITLB 4K/4M: 128 entries cpu0: DTLB 4K/4M: 64 entries cpu0: 16 page colors pci0 at mainbus0 bus 0: configuration mode 1 pci0: i/o space, memory space enabled, rd/line, rd/mult, wr/inv ok pchb0 at pci0 dev 0 function 0 pchb0: Intel 82845G/GL DRAM Controller / Host-Hub I/F Bridge (rev. 0x01) agp0 at pchb0: detected 8060k stolen memory agp0: aperture at 0x88000000, size 0x8000000 vga1 at pci0 dev 2 function 0: Intel 82845G/GL Integrated Graphics Device (rev. 0x01) wsdisplay0 at vga1 kbdmux 1: console (80x25, vt100 emulation) wsmux1: connecting to wsdisplay0 uhci0 at pci0 dev 29 function 0: Intel 82801DB/DBM USB UHCI Controller #1 (rev. 0x01) uhci0: interrupting at irq 10 usb0 at uhci0: USB revision 1.0 uhub0 at usb0 uhub0: Intel UHCI root hub, class 9/0, rev 1.00/1.00, addr 1 uhub0: 2 ports with 2 removable, self powered uhci1 at pci0 dev 29 function 1: Intel 82801DB/DBM USB UHCI Controller #2 (rev. 0x01) uhci1: interrupting at irq 11 usb1 at uhci1: USB revision 1.0 uhub1 at usb1 uhub1: Intel UHCI root hub, class 9/0, rev 1.00/1.00, addr 1 uhub1: 2 ports with 2 removable, self powered uhci2 at pci0 dev 29 function 2: Intel 82801DB/DBM USB UHCI Controller #3 (rev. 0x01) uhci2: interrupting at irq 5 usb2 at uhci2: USB revision 1.0 uhub2 at usb2 uhub2: Intel UHCI root hub, class 9/0, rev 1.00/1.00, addr 1 uhub2: 2 ports with 2 removable, self powered ehci0 at pci0 dev 29 function 7: Intel 82801DB/DBM USB EHCI Controller (rev. 0x01) ehci0: interrupting at irq 11 ehci0: EHCI version 1.0 ehci0: companion controllers, 2 ports each: uhci0 uhci1 uhci2 usb3 at ehci0: USB revision 2.0 uhub3 at usb3 uhub3: Intel EHCI root hub, class 9/0, rev 2.00/1.00, addr 1 uhub3: 6 ports with 6 removable, self powered ppb0 at pci0 dev 30 function 0: Intel 82801BA Hub-to-PCI Bridge (rev. 0x81) pci1 at ppb0 bus 2 pci1: i/o space, memory space enabled cbb0 at pci1 dev 3 function 0: Ricoh 5C475 PCI-CardBus bridge (rev. 0x80) fxp0 at pci1 dev 8 function 0: Intel PRO/100 VE Network Controller with 82562ET/EZ PHY, rev 129 fxp0: interrupting at irq 11 fxp0: Ethernet address 00:00:f0:79:0b:0e inphy0 at fxp0 phy 1: i82562ET 10/100 media interface, rev. 0 inphy0: 10baseT, 10baseT-FDX, 100baseTX, 100baseTX-FDX, auto cbb0: interrupting at irq 10 cardslot0 at cbb0 slot 0 flags 0 cardbus0 at cardslot0: bus 3 device 0 pcmcia0 at cardslot0 pcib0 at pci0 dev 31 function 0 pcib0: Intel 82801DB LPC Interface Bridge (rev. 0x01) piixide0 at pci0 dev 31 function 1 piixide0: Intel 82801DB IDE Controller (ICH4) (rev. 0x01) piixide0: bus-master DMA support present piixide0: primary channel wired to compatibility mode piixide0: primary channel interrupting at irq 14 atabus0 at piixide0 channel 0 piixide0: secondary channel wired to compatibility mode piixide0: secondary channel interrupting at irq 15 atabus1 at piixide0 channel 1 Intel 82801DB/DBM SMBus Controller (SMBus serial bus, revision 0x01) at pci0 dev 31 function 3 not configured auich0 at pci0 dev 31 function 5: i82801DB/DBM (ICH4/ICH4M) AC-97 Audio auich0: interrupting at irq 5 auich0: ac97: Crystal CS4202 codec; headphone, 20 bit DAC, 18 bit ADC, no 3D stereo auich0: ac97: ext id 605 Intel 82801DB/DBM AC97 Modem Controller (modem communications, revision 0x01) at pci0 dev 31 function 6 not configured isa0 at pcib0 lpt0 at isa0 port 0x378-0x37b irq 7 com0 at isa0 port 0x3f8-0x3ff irq 4: ns16550a, working fifo pckbc0 at isa0 port 0x60-0x64 pckbd0 at pckbc0 (kbd slot) pckbc0: using irq 1 for kbd slot wskbd0 at pckbd0: console keyboard, using wsdisplay0 pms0 at pckbc0 (aux slot) pckbc0: using irq 12 for aux slot wsmouse0 at pms0 mux 0 pcppi0 at isa0 port 0x61 midi0 at pcppi0: PC speaker sysbeep0 at pcppi0 isapnp0 at isa0 port 0x279: ISA Plug 'n Play device support npx0 at isa0 port 0xf0-0xff: using exception 16 isapnp0: no ISA Plug 'n Play devices found auich0: measured ac97 link rate at 47984 Hz, will use 48000 Hz audio0 at auich0: full duplex, mmap, independent Kernelized RAIDframe activated wd0 at atabus0 drive 0: wd0: drive supports 16-sector PIO transfers, LBA addressing wd0: 19077 MB, 38760 cyl, 16 head, 63 sec, 512 bytes/sect x 39070080 sectors wd0: 32-bit data port wd0: drive supports PIO mode 4, DMA mode 2, Ultra-DMA mode 5 (Ultra/100) wd0(piixide0:0:0): using PIO mode 4, Ultra-DMA mode 5 (Ultra/100) (using DMA data transfers) atapibus0 at atabus1: 2 targets cd0 at atapibus0 drive 0: cdrom removable cd0: 32-bit data port cd0: drive supports PIO mode 4, DMA mode 2, Ultra-DMA mode 2 (Ultra/33) cd0(piixide0:1:0): using PIO mode 4, Ultra-DMA mode 2 (Ultra/33) (using DMA data transfers) boot device: fxp0 root on fxp0 nfs_boot: trying DHCP/BOOTP nfs_boot: DHCP next-server: 10.0.0.1 nfs_boot: my_name=laptop nfs_boot: my_domain=localnet nfs_boot: my_addr=10.0.0.2 nfs_boot: my_mask=255.255.255.0 root on 10.0.0.1:/usr/export/client/root root file system type: nfs wsdisplay0: screen 1 added (80x25, vt100 emulation) wsdisplay0: screen 2 added (80x25, vt100 emulation) wsdisplay0: screen 3 added (80x25, vt100 emulation) wsdisplay0: screen 4 added (80x25, vt100 emulation)

NetBSD Diskless Installation

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