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DateSun, 7 Jun 1998 10:50:37 +0200
FromMartin Mares <>
SubjectRe: Compatible with i386/UP but optimised for i686/SMP
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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