From owner-freebsd-questions Tue Mar 12 04:20:26 1996 Return-Path: owner-questions Received: (from root@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) id EAA08222 for questions-outgoing; Tue, 12 Mar 1996 04:20:26 -0800 (PST) Received: from smople.thehub.com.au (smople.thehub.com.au [203.17.162.10]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) with SMTP id EAA08211 for ; Tue, 12 Mar 1996 04:20:20 -0800 (PST) Received: from an103.thehub.com.au (an103.thehub.com.au [203.17.162.133]) by smople.thehub.com.au (8.6.11/8.6.9) with SMTP id WAA02881 for ; Tue, 12 Mar 1996 22:21:24 GMT Received: by an103.thehub.com.au with Microsoft Mail id <01BB1063.2B903B60@an103.thehub.com.au>; Tue, 12 Mar 1996 22:28:00 +-1000 Message-ID: <01BB1063.2B903B60@an103.thehub.com.au> From: Greg Laslett To: "'questions@freebsd.org'" Subject: Beyond 'Diskless' into 'Deviceless' Date: Tue, 12 Mar 1996 21:44:08 +-1000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Sender: owner-questions@freebsd.org X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk I am interested in the concept of setting up a FreeBSD boot/file server = servicing 'n' totally minimal FreeBSD PC's each acting as a processing = engine. Each of the client PC's would consist only of a motherboard and = an ethernet card. No Keyboard, no VGA card, no HDD. Booting would be = via a ROM on the ethernet card and the console would be via an Xterm (or = similar) session. Has anybody done something similar ? Can anybody advise on an ethernet (later to be fast ethernet) card which = has an appropriate ROM easily orderable. Alternately perhaps one can = plug a PROM writer into a FreeBSD box and write a custom net boot for = say an SMC8432 Etherpower or 3Com 3C5xx ? What net boot servers can be got for FreeBSD ? Is there an 'Xterm' console driver that can look for an appropriate = Xserver ? What kernel stability issues need to be addressed when there is no = Keyboard, FDD, serial lines or other normally expected hardware about ? Regards, Greg Laslett.