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#1 2023-06-13 18:41:17

amontero
Member
Registered: 2022-01-18
Posts: 4

Netboot / iPXE small boot kernel available?

I'm looking for a method for installing Arch Linux 32 via Netboot (from Internet).
So far, I've tried two solutions:
* Netboot.xyz: https://github.com/netbootxyz/netboot.xyz
* Netbootcd: https://github.com/IsaacSchemm/netbootcd

Netboot.xyz kinda works, but lacking a small netboot kernel, it requires lots of RAM to boot from the full ISO, as described in this issue:
https://github.com/netbootxyz/netboot.xyz/issues/1027

Netbootcd does not support it, and to do so, it needs also public netboot kernel files, as described in this issue:
https://github.com/IsaacSchemm/netbootcd/issues/9

I've browsed the archlinux32.org mirror, but found nothing.
Searching forums brings up these posts, which are not useful, as far as my knowledge goes:
* https://bbs.archlinux32.org/viewtopic.php?id=2622
* https://bbs.archlinux32.org/viewtopic.php?id=360

I'm not sure if the files exist and I've overlooked them, how easy are the files to create or what kind of magic is required to get them. However, being able to netboot-install ArchLinux32 would definitely be great, and maybe some Mbs downloading, since only the required packages would be downloaded, instead of full ISOs.
I'll be linking this post from the above mentioned Github issues, in case the gurus here are able to provide some hints. I have not the required knowledge, AFAICT (unless it's very easy to find).
Thanks a lot.

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#2 2023-09-07 06:15:45

abaumann
Administrator
From: Zurich
Registered: 2019-11-14
Posts: 1,032
Website

Re: Netboot / iPXE small boot kernel available?

We currently don't build special boot images. I used PXE directly with the ISO instead, with a 100 Mbit/s card this is bearable, with 10 MBit/s not so much. :-)

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#3 2023-09-13 22:49:28

amontero
Member
Registered: 2022-01-18
Posts: 4

Re: Netboot / iPXE small boot kernel available?

Thanks abaumann. However, my problem is not D/L speed nor bandwidth, but fitting the image into RAM.
Also, I'm not 100% sure about it, but a special boot image is not needed, but publishing some boot files, which I guess they may exist already.
I'm guessing it bu looking for instance at https://github.com/netbootxyz/netboot.x … 1108/files which adds files whose names look quite familiar to me in boot disks/CDs, IIRC. But someone more knowledgeable should take a look at it to confirm, thou.

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