Diskless Linux Workstation

We need a server with DHCP and TFTP.

In Debian Etch we have at least three DHCP server: tftpd, tftpd-hpa and atftpd. The first one is not suitable because PXELINUX requires that the TFTP server supports the “tsize” TFTP option. The second has a BSD with advertising clause license. So we went with atftpd, which is also the preferred TFTPD at Debian Popularity Contest.

We changed the home directory for TFTPD, choosing /boot/tftp. See the command line in /etc/inetd.conf.

-> Device Drivers -> Network device support -> Ethernet (1000 Mbit)
New SysKonnect GigaEthernet support
CONFIG_SKGE

-> Networking -> Networking support (NET [=y]) -> Networking options -> TCP/IP networking (INET [=y])

IP: kernel level autoconfiguration
CONFIG_IP_PNP

IP: DHCP support
CONFIG_IP_PNP_DHCP

IP: BOOTP support
CONFIG_IP_PNP_BOOTP

-> File systems -> Network File Systems

NFS file system support
CONFIG_NFS_FS

Root file system on NFS
CONFIG_ROOT_NFS

-> File systems
Kernel automounter version 4 support (also supports v3)
CONFIG_AUTOFS4_FS

• http://julian.coccia.com/blog/index.php?m=200502&more=1
• http://syslinux.zytor.com/pxe.php
• http://www.math.ucdavis.edu/~zjohnson/howto/diskless_ubuntu.html
• http://www.wlug.org.nz/NFSRoot

Client

• Celeron 2.4 GHz
• 500 Mb RAM
• RAID1 on two 80 Gb Samsung IDE disks

NFS server

• Celeron 700 MHz
• 256 Mb RAM
• RAID1 volume on two 60 Gb Maxtor IDE disks

Environment

• Debian GNU/Linux Etch
• KDM as display manager
• KDE as desktop environment
• Kopete, KWeather, KMix
• 7 icons on the panel
• 25 icons on the Desktop, 1280×1024 wallpaper