[mythtv-users] multiple network boot diskless frontends with seperate configurations?

[Robin Gilks]

> Hello all!
>  So I've got two frontends that I would like to network boot with PXE
> as diskless frontends. I've read many a web article on this, but none
> give any information on how to manage multiple clients like this where
> each client is allowed to have it's own separate "settings" so to
> speak.
>
> has anyone done this? what is the key to setting up multiple diskless
> frontends that all boot from the same server but have separate
> environments?
>

I'm using pxelinux (a derivative of syslinux as used on live cds) and the
config file for each system (based on ethernet MAC address) looks like
this.

DEFAULT first_attempt

LABEL first_attempt
    kernel zotac/linux-2.6.30-gentoo-r4
    append ip=dhcp root=/dev/nfs nfsroot=192.168.1.10:/zotac

As you can see, the kernel and the root filesystem mount point are both
defined so you can set up whatever you want - very handy if like me you
have a mix of 64 bit and 32 bit frontends.

The dhcp stuff to get it to boot in the first place is handled by dnsmasq
which also uses MAC addesses to put a fixed IP address to each f/e. I'm
using the builtin tftp server in dnsmasq to serve up pxelinux and deliver
the kernel to each f/e.

Works well :-)

-- 
Robin Gilks