Etherboot

Etherboot is a cool software package that helps create ROM images. These images can download code over an Ethernet network, letting you run it on x86 computers. Pretty neat, right?

What Can You Use Etherboot For?

You might be wondering when you'd actually use Etherboot. Well, it's great for:

• An X-terminal.


• Clusters of compute servers.


• Routers.


• Remote servers like tape drive servers that use the RMT protocol.


• Machines in tricky environments where disks don't work well.


• A user platform that relies on remote partitions over the network, even if it's slower than using a disk.


• Centrally maintaining software for a cluster of similar workstations.

Speed Matters!

One of the best parts about Etherboot is speed! It can boot computers way faster than using a disk. No waiting for disks to spin up means you’re ready to go in just seconds! For example, with a 10Mbit Ethernet connection, sending a 500kB kernel usually takes just a couple of seconds. And if you've got 100Mbit Ethernet? Even better!

The Benefits of Centralized Management

If you're comparing it with solid-state devices like Flash disks, Etherboot's big advantage is centralized software management. Sure, you depend on a server, but having backup servers can help ease that worry.

Flexibility and Compatibility

Etherboot works well with RAM disks, NFS filesystems, or even local disks if that's your thing! It's super flexible and can mix with other technologies to fit your needs perfectly.

Operating Systems Supported

You’ll usually see Etherboot used to load Linux or FreeBSD or even DOS. But guess what? The protocol and boot file formats are pretty general. So there's no reason why you can't load different OS images onto your PC!

An Open Source Option

Etherboot is Open Source, so it's under the GNU General Public License Version 2 (GPL2). That means anyone can check out or contribute to its development!

The Must-Have Components

If you're diving into Etherboot, here's what you'll need:

• A bootstrap loader (usually found in an EPROM on the network card).


• A DHCP or BOOTP server for returning IP addresses and info based on MAC addresses.


• A TFTP server to send kernel images and other required files during booting. You could also use an NFS mount instead!


• A Linux or FreeBSD kernel.


• An optional NFS server for mounting disk partitions when booting Linux or FreeBSD.


• An optional RAM disk contained in the loaded image—if you want it as the initial RAM disk too!


• The tools needed for building download images and debugging them as needed!

What's New: This production release now compiles smoothly with gcc 4.x! Plus, several drivers have been updated including e1000 and MCP51 among others. Exciting!