7. Set up Your Server

This chapter describes the configuration steps necessary for the server machine to hand-off your JavaStation™ boot image.

7.1. Preface

It is now time to setup your server to deliver the OS and filesystem to the JavaStation™.

In our examples here, we configure a Linux/SPARC server lnxserv at private IP 192.168.128.100 to deliver a boot image to JavaStationjava01 at private IP 192.168.128.1. Both are on private network 192.168.128/24. When using an NFS-Root Filesystem, the location on the server of the filesystem in our sample is at /path/to/nfsroot .

7.2. Setting up the RARP service

We first need to set up RARP service on our server, so the JavaStation™ can auto-configure its IP.

First, populate the /etc/ethers file with the mapping of the mac address of the JavaStation™ to its hostname:

### /etc/ethers 
8:0:20:82:7a:21  lnxserv  # 192.168.128.100 (server is not necessary,)
#                         #                 (just for completeness)
#
#
08:00:20:81:C2:ae java01   # 192.168.128.1 (JavaStation)
#
###

Next, populate the /etc/hosts file with the IP to hostname maps:

### /etc/hosts 
192.168.128.100 lnxserv
192.168.128.1 java01
###

Lastly, configure the RARP cache to fill. On 2.2.x based systems, you do this with the /sbin/rarp command, so fill the cache at startup:

### Part of rc.local
#
# If necessary, first load the rarp module to be able to fill the cache.
# /sbin/insmod rarp
#
# Now we fill the rarp cache.  You better have the rarp command available.
if [ -f /sbin/rarp ]; then
        /sbin/rarp -f
fi
###

On 2.4.x based systems, you must use the userland RARP daemon to answer RARP requests instead.

7.3. Setting up the DHCP service

You now need to configure your server to deliver DHCP service. This will help identify the JavaStation™, the network it is on, and where to get its boot image from.

The following is a sample dhcpd.conf file for the ISC DHCP server software which ships with most Linux/SPARC distributions.

### Sample /etc/dhcpd.conf file for ISC DHCPD
#
deny unknown-clients;
#
subnet 192.168.128.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 
{
   range 192.168.128.1 192.168.128.150;
}

group 
{
   host java01 
   {
      hardware ethernet 08:00:20:81:C2:ae;
      filename "C0A88003";        # "/tftpboot/xxx"
      fixed-address java01;       # 192.168.128.1
   }
}
#
### End dhcpd.conf file

A longer dhcpd.conf from the ZLS is mirrored here for demonstration purposes.

Note: Some early versions of ISC DHCPD are reported to not work well. It is recommended you use ISC DHCPD Version 2.0 and above. If you still find youself having problems, there is a patch to the ISC DHCP server on the ZLS website.

7.4. Set up NFS service (NFS-Root Options Only)

When you are serving up an NFS-Root filesystem, you need to share the filesystem you created to the JavaStation ™ client. You do this with the /etc/exports file.

###/etc/exports
/path/to/nfsroot        java01(rw,no_root_squash)
###

Be sure your NFS server gets properly started up at boot-time.

7.5. Setting up for Boot with TFTP

Now we need to set up the last step on our server: the TFTP configuration. For this step, you will need the kernel you created (using the NFS-Root option) or the piggybacked kernel/fs boot image (using the Embedded-Root option), the appropriate PROLL, and some knowledge of hexadecimal numbering.

The first thing you need to do is verify that TFTPd is enabled in your /etc/inetd.conf file:

tftp	dgram	udp	wait	root	/usr/sbin/tcpd	in.tftpd

Now, you move your copy of proll for your JavaStation ™ architecture, along your kernel or piggybacked kernel image to /tftpboot.

Now, you create of symbolic link from the hexidecimal version of your IP to your PROLL image, and a map from HEXIP.PROL to your real kernel image. If you are using Embedded-Root option, you point to your Embedded-Root Filesystem plus Kernel image. If you are using the NFS-Root option, you need to point to the normal vmlinux.aout image, plus have a separate map of IP->nfsroot location. For sake of completeness, you might also want a HEXIP.SUN4M -> HEXIP map, as that is the custom way of dealing with net boot situations with the Sun.

Example for java01 booting from NFS-Root:

  $ ls -ld /tftpboot
  -rw-r--r--   1 root     root        89608 Mar 20 10:15 proll.aout.krups.11
  -rw-r--r--   1 root     root        52732 Mar 17 11:52 proll.aout.mrcoffee.11
  lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root           19 Mar 20 10:16 proll.krups -> proll.aout.krups.11
  lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root           22 Mar 17 11:54 proll.mrcoffee -> proll.aout.mrcoffee.11
  lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root           10 Apr  1 13:00 C0A88001.SUN4M -> COA88001
  lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root           10 Apr  1 13:00 C0A88001 -> proll.mrcoffee
  lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root           12 Apr  1 13:00 C0A88001.PROL -> vmlinux.aout
  -rw-r--r--   1 root     root      1456189 May 21 12:53 vmlinux.aout
  -rw-r--r--   1 root     root      6743821 Apr  1 12:53 vmlinux_embed.aout
  lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root           18 Apr  1 12:53 192.168.128.1 -> /path/to/nfsroot

Example for java01 booting from Embedded-Root boot image:

  $ ls -ld /tftpboot
  -rw-r--r--   1 root     root        89608 Mar 20 10:15 proll.aout.krups.11
  -rw-r--r--   1 root     root        52732 Mar 17 11:52 proll.aout.mrcoffee.11
  lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root           19 Mar 20 10:16 proll.krups -> proll.aout.krups.11
  lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root           22 Mar 17 11:54 proll.mrcoffee -> proll.aout.mrcoffee.11
  lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root           10 Apr  1 13:00 C0A88001.SUN4M -> COA88001
  lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root           10 Apr  1 13:00 C0A88001 -> proll.mrcoffee
  lrwxrwxrwx   1 root     root           12 Apr  1 13:00 C0A88001.PROL -> vmlinux_embed.aout
  -rw-r--r--   1 root     root      1456189 May 21 12:53 vmlinux.aout
  -rw-r--r--   1 root     root      6743821 Apr  1 12:53 vmlinux_embed.aout