this is obsolete doc -- see http://doc.nethence.com/ instead

NetBSD/sparc network boot 

Introduction 

Installation server here is a NetBSD/i386 6.1 system with two network interfaces: 

- fxp0 which is connected to the local network, 

- rtk0 which serves the installation service for many hardware plateforms. I use a cross-over network cable against each machine I need to bootstrap. 

Say you've got a Sparcstation 5 with ethernet address cc:cc:cc:cc:cc:cc, and you want to assign the IP address 10.1.1.9 to it during the installation. 

Using GNU screen is a good option to consider: 

- one windows for rarp daemon debug output, 

- one windows for system logs, 

- one window for other configurations. 

Setting up the RARP daemon 

Configure RARP daemon on the install server (use a separate window to let it live), 

cd /etc/

echo "cc:cc:cc:cc:cc:cc 10.1.1.9" > ethers

  rarpd -d rtk0 

Note. -a to listen on all interfaces. 

Note. -d for debug mode, let you see what MAC addresses are asking for answers. 

Setting up the TFTP service 

Make sure tftp is configured to serve '/tftpboot' specificly (-s /tftpboot), 

grep ^tftp /etc/inetd.conf

and make sure it is running, 

ps aux | grep inetd

Calculate the HEX code for that target IP address you want to assign the the host system, 

bc

obase=16

10

1

1

9

quit

==> 0A010109 (don't forget to add a zero if you only got one alphanumeric char for the hex bit) 

Fetch the boot code from your NetBSD FTP mirror, 

cd /tftpboot/

ftp -a ftp.free.fr/mirrors/ftp.netbsd.org/NetBSD-6.1/sparc/installation/netboot/boot.net

mv boot.net netbsd61sparc.boot.net

ln -s netbsd61sparc.boot.net 0A010109.SUN4M

Setting up the DHCP daemon 

Make sure you've got those in your dhcpd.conf, 

host sparcstation5 {

        hardware ethernet cc:cc:cc:cc:cc:cc;

        fixed-address 10.1.1.9;

        next-server 10.1.1.254;

        option root-path "/var/data/sparc";

}

note. Change the MAC address accordingly. 

and make sure it is running, 

ps aux | grep dhcpd

Setting up the NFS daemons 

Proceed e.g., 

cd /etc/

cat >> rc.conf <<EOF9

rpcbind=yes

mountd=yes

nfs_server=yes

lockd=yes

statd=yes

nfs_client=yes

EOF9

cat >> exports <<EOF9

/var/data               -ro -mapall=nobody -alldirs

EOF9

Preparing the kernel and installation root file system 

Proceed e.g., 

cd /var/data/

mkdir -p sparc/

cd sparc/

ftp -a ftp://ftp.free.fr/mirrors/ftp.netbsd.org/NetBSD-6.1/sparc/binary/kernel/netbsd-GENERIC.gz

ftp -a ftp://ftp.free.fr/mirrors/ftp.netbsd.org/NetBSD-6.1/sparc/installation/netboot/rootfs.tgz

tar xzpf rootfs.tgz

ln -s netbsd-GENERIC.gz netbsd.gz

Note. don't forget the 'p' option with tar! 

Last checks 

Check again that all the needed network services are up and running, 

/etc/rc.d/inetd restart

/etc/rc.d/dhcpd restart

ps aux | grep rarpd

ps aux | grep inetd

ps aux | grep dhcpd

and in another window, 

pkill rarpd

rarpd -d rtk0

Ready to go 

On the ok prompt, 

set-defaults

setenv auto-boot? false

reset

back to the ok prompt, 

boot net

Note. don't forget to read the logs on the install server at the same time. 

Troubleshooting 

If nothing happens on the install server in the RARPD windows, aswell as on the sparc client, nothing but an RARP reply, don't forget to read the logs to check if the file name has the right HEX naming. 

If you get, 

Can't open NFS network connection on ...

Cannot load netbsd: error=13

check that root-path option in dhcpd.conf points to the prepared root file system folder on the NFS share (alldirs if it's a subdir). 

References 

NetBSD/sparc 

http://www.netbsd.org/ports/sparc/ 

Installing NetBSD by using a netboot setup 

ftp://ftp.free.fr/mirrors/ftp.netbsd.org/NetBSD-6.1/sparc/INSTALL.html#Installing%20NetBSD%20by%20using%20a%20netboot%20setup 

Introduction (sparc- and sun3-specific), Diskless NetBSD HOW-TO 

http://www.netbsd.org/docs/network/netboot/intro.sun.html#naming 

How to netboot and install NetBSD/sparc 

http://www.ogris.de/howtos/netbsd-sparc-install.html 

Installazione di NetBSD su una Sun SparcStation 1 via rete 

http://www.retrocomputing.net/parts/sun/sparc1/netBSD/installazione_net.htm 

Installing NetBSD via netboot on a Sparcstation 5 

http://www.neuronenwerk.de/files/NetBSD_on_Sparcstation5.pdf