Remote boot / dynamic linking probs

From: Mads Andreasen (manREMOVETHIS_at_aub.dk)
Date: 11/03/03 

Date: Mon, 3 Nov 2003 19:50:54 +0100

Hi All

I'm trying to boot a linux machine via a network connection. I am at a point
where I can boot the kernel, but not much more.

My Setup:
Client (the one that needs to boot): Low end pc system with no form for
disk. Network adapter with PXE support.

Server: Redhat 8, DHCP, TFTP, NFS. I've exportet a directory over NFS, that
the client will use as it's root fileystem. Into that I've copied some
initial programs and the libraries that they use (found with ldd).

When I boot the client, I see the kernel beeing startet, but when it comes
to calling the init program it hangs.

To ifnd possible errors I've created a HelloWorld init replacement. It has 2
library dependencies (ld-x.x.x.so and libc6.so). I've made a communications
trace with Ethereal, and I can see that it retrieves the ld.x.so over NFS
protocol, but then nothing happens. If I delete the ld.x.so an error is
printed.

I then tried to link HelloWorld statically, and that executes, prints
HelloWorld and exits with kernel panic (just as expected).

On the server I've tried to do a chroot to the NFS exported directory, and
the dynamic linked helloworld executes fine there.

I'm really at a loss here.. I've tried to google for a solution, but to no
avail... heeeeelp.....

-Mads

Relevant Pages

  • Re: PXE boot
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    (comp.os.linux.embedded)
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  • 2.6.28-rc2: REGRESSION in early boot
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