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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!munnari.OZ.AU!news.ecn.uoknor.edu!news.wildstar.net!newsfeed.direct.ca!portc01.blue.aol.com!cliffs.rs.itd.umich.edu!howland.erols.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!raven.eva.net!bighorn.accessnv.com!jca From: jca@bighorn.accessnv.com (J.C. Archambeau) Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc Subject: Re: who uses the netboot loader??? Date: 19 Dec 1996 19:09:13 GMT Organization: Access Nevada Inc. Lines: 31 Message-ID: <59c3sp$iqc@raven.eva.net> References: <32B8AED4.5D97@cs.washington.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: bighorn.accessnv.com X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL2] Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:32805 Marc E. Fiuczynski (mef@cs.washington.edu) wrote: : Just curious how many people actually use the netboot loader that comes : with FreeBSD? I.e., the one that allows you to load the kernel via : ethernet. Our group will use it alot because we are doing lots of : kernel development. The problem with the netboot loader is that it only supports a narrow spectrum of ethernet cards. If you want to run 100BTX you don't have netboot support. Only the NE1000/2000, SMC/WD80x3 and the SMC Ultra (8216) support diskless booting. If I was running a network of diskless clients I would be strongly inclined to go with 100BTX. Granted, Suns have been doing it for years over 10BT, but I still would be inclined to go with 100BTX. IMO, a faster network is a better candidate for diskless stations. Given the choice of being limited to the above listed cards and only 10BT, I'd probably go with the SMC Ultra 8216 since it is the best performer out of the cards that do support netbooting. Perhaps a member of the core team can tell us if netbooting is in the works for some of the 100BTX cards that are already supported. -- /* ** Internet: jca@accessnv.com | Don't blame me, I didn't vote for Clinton. ** jca@anv.net | Intel is the word for 'errata.' *************************************************************************** ** Note: Please direct all unsolicited commercial e-mail (Spam) to the ** special account postmaster@accessnv.com. Thank you. *************************************************************************** */