Is it possible to netboot QNX from some other OS? I have only one
licence for QNX, and would need diskless QNX-box. But it can’t be
booted from linux server?
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M. Tavasti / tavastixx@iki.fi / +358-40-5078254
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M. Tavasti <tavastixx@iki.fi.invalid> wrote:
Is it possible to netboot QNX from some other OS? I have only one
licence for QNX, and would need diskless QNX-box. But it can’t be
booted from linux server?
Yes it is possible. But, unless it is an embedded box on which you
want limitted capability it is unlikely to be of much utility.
If you build a QNX OS image, and use bootp or equivalent to transfer
it to your diskless box, it will be copied into memory and run. QNX
doesn’t care where the image comes from. The problem, though, is where
does the QNX system go for anything that isn’t in the boot image? The
normal method is to use QNX-native networking to another QNX box that
supplies the filesystem, but it sounds like you don’t have another box.
If you are looking at QNX Neutrino, it would probably be possible to
get a TCP/IP stack up far enough to NFS mount your Linux box and get
everything from there, as you can put configuration files in the image,
but QNX 4 doesn’t have that capability. Even so, though, you are likely
to run into image size problems (with either OS), as a bootp image is
usually restricted to about 540K (sometimes 600k), and it will be a tight
squeeze to get enough into the image – still, it might be doable with
a compressed image.
-David
David Gibbs <dagibbs@qnx.com> writes:
doesn’t care where the image comes from. The problem, though, is where
does the QNX system go for anything that isn’t in the boot image? The
normal method is to use QNX-native networking to another QNX box that
supplies the filesystem, but it sounds like you don’t have another box.
Are there any size limits for QNX boot image?
If you are looking at QNX Neutrino, it would probably be possible to
At moment, no. QNX 4.25.
get a TCP/IP stack up far enough to NFS mount your Linux box and get
everything from there, as you can put configuration files in the image,
but QNX 4 doesn’t have that capability. Even so, though, you are likely
to run into image size problems (with either OS), as a bootp image is
usually restricted to about 540K (sometimes 600k), and it will be a tight
squeeze to get enough into the image – still, it might be doable with
a compressed image.
At least tools I’m currently don’t restrict image size so
low. Bootroms I’m using are getting IP with dhcp/bootp, and getting
bootimage with tftp. And limit for tftp image is something like
16/32M. So this won’t be a problem, once I get good QNX image build,
and change it to correct tagged image format.
Other option is use floppy boot. Booting from floppy you can get nfs
up?
Idea why I’m interested about this, is silence: I move all computers
with fans, harddrives, etc to another room, and keep my workspace free
of humming. But since I have to use some serial connected devices with
QNX, netbooting QNX would be fine. Other option is long serial cable,
but I don’t think 115200 will survive with 20m cable.
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M. Tavasti / tavastixx@iki.fi / +358-40-5078254
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M. Tavasti <tavastixx@iki.fi.invalid> wrote:
David Gibbs <> dagibbs@qnx.com> > writes:
doesn’t care where the image comes from. The problem, though, is where
does the QNX system go for anything that isn’t in the boot image? The
normal method is to use QNX-native networking to another QNX box that
supplies the filesystem, but it sounds like you don’t have another box.Are there any size limits for QNX boot image?
None from the OS side that I know of – people boot some pretty big
images from Flash/ROM. Usually there are BIOS type limitations.
At moment, no. QNX 4.25.
At least tools I’m currently don’t restrict image size so
low. Bootroms I’m using are getting IP with dhcp/bootp, and getting
bootimage with tftp. And limit for tftp image is something like
16/32M. So this won’t be a problem, once I get good QNX image build,
and change it to correct tagged image format.Other option is use floppy boot. Booting from floppy you can get nfs
up?
It would be quite a bit easier from a floppy boot. In the boot image
you have no sequentialization – everything is just started all at once.
Also, you don’t have a file system for getting configuration files. On
a floppy boot, it is much easier – you can have a script that starts
up network drivers, waits for them to initialize, then starts up the
TCP/IP stack, ifconfig the interfaces, then start NFS, etc. And you
can have configuration files since you have a file system.
-David
David Gibbs <dagibbs@qnx.com> wrote:
M. Tavasti <> tavastixx@iki.fi.invalid> > wrote:
David Gibbs <> dagibbs@qnx.com> > writes:doesn’t care where the image comes from. The problem, though, is where
does the QNX system go for anything that isn’t in the boot image? The
normal method is to use QNX-native networking to another QNX box that
supplies the filesystem, but it sounds like you don’t have another box.Are there any size limits for QNX boot image?
None from the OS side that I know of – people boot some pretty big
images from Flash/ROM. Usually there are BIOS type limitations.
Just to reinforce – x86 boots in REAL mode, giving the 640K limitation.
Are you sure you can boot larger images accross the network?
Floppy is still probably the easier way to go.
-David
David Gibbs <dagibbs@qnx.com> writes:
It would be quite a bit easier from a floppy boot. In the boot image
you have no sequentialization – everything is just started all at once.
Also, you don’t have a file system for getting configuration files.
Sounds like no can do nfs.
a floppy boot, it is much easier – you can have a script that starts
Ok, that’s probably what I’ll do.
Just to reinforce – x86 boots in REAL mode, giving the 640K limitation.
Are you sure you can boot larger images accross the network?
I think with those tools I’m using ( http://www.han.de/~gero/netboot )
it’s possible. I think it’s not bootimage in that sense QNX uses
term. It’s more like bootfloppy (any size) transfered over network,
with information where to start running code. But’ haven’t used it to
boot anything else than linux, but it is cabable to run diskless DOS.
So anyway I have to build boot floppy, and when it’s done, I’m too
lazy to do any more work. When computer is booted max once a day, and
working in office environment, floppy is good enough, was just
thinking netboot would be nice, and maybe easier to maintain.
–
M. Tavasti / tavastixx@iki.fi / +358-40-5078254
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