Messages in this thread | | | Date | Sun, 7 Jun 1998 10:50:37 +0200 | From | Martin Mares <> | Subject | Re: Compatible with i386/UP but optimised for i686/SMP |
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Hello,
> A Linux server provides a complete diskless NFS-root installation to > any machine that requests it, on demand. Hard links and clever > scripts keep the storage requirements down, and the network > configurations for each are generated from templates. NFS swapping > is also used. These installations cannot all be prepared "by hand" > in advance because there are too many _potential_ clients, most of > which will never run Linux but we don't want to rule any out by > deciding which are supported clients and which are not. > > A simple DOS program is run on any PC, off a floppy disk, which > loads the kernel over the network. The kernel autodetects the > hardware and simply boots up, not touching the client's disk. > Often, up pops Xdm and the Windows user is amazed :-) Really, it > just boots and works. Sometimes a bit of per machine configuration > is needed, but only for X and the mouse. Console mode always works. > > It is not acceptable to spend time "hand installing" anything, or > going through a standard distribution installation. The > administrative time cannot be justified. (And it just works > anyway...). > > Some PCs are Pentiums and PPros, some 486s, some are 386s acting as > cheap printer servers (not even a monitor or keyboard on those). > > There is no central database of what machines are connected that may > wish to use this service. Often Linux is run in this way just to > find out what is in a machine! :-)
There is a very simple solution: Just make the `Simple DOS program' detect your CPU type and choose from two or three kernels available for remote booting.
Have a nice fortnight -- Martin `MJ' Mares <mj@ucw.cz> http://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~mj/ Faculty of Math and Physics, Charles University, Prague, Czech Rep., Earth "Got mole problems? Call Avogadro, 602-1023!"
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