Re: PCMCIA support?

[R.E.Wolff@BitWizard.nl (Rogier Wolff)]

Vlad Lungu wrote:
> 
> 
> On Wed, 5 Aug 1998, Richard Gooch wrote:
> 
> >   Hi, all. I wonder if it would be feasible to support network booting
> > via a PCMCIA EtherNet card? I'd be quite happy to be able to stick in
> > a floppy disc to a laptop and have it boot into the BOOTP client and
> > download the kernel and compressed root FS from a server.

> You must initialize the card ( meaning you have to boot in DOS, run the
> PCMCIA software - specific for the controller, allocate resources for the
> netcard) then run the PROM image and MAYBE  will work.
> I think is more feasible to boot the kernel and a small initrd image from
> the floppy, run the PCMCIA services, the network driver and the bootp
> client then NFS mount the root from the server.

> > Is this something I can ever expect to see? :-)

> In short, not by a long shot. But who knows ...

I'd say it's doable. Just extract the PCMCIA lowlevel stuff from the
linux-kernel, and add it to your etherboot image. Normally that would
go on to signal cardmgr (or whatever it's called) to load the kernel
module for the card. Forget about that: Once you have the pcmcia stuff
initialized, you simply have an ne2000 on an ISA bus. You can let the
existing part of etherboot boot the system.

The advantage above just putting a kernel on a floppy is that you
could eventually find a PROM inside the laptop to integrate this into
the machine. The advantage of putting a kernel on the floppy is the
"immediate availability". :-)

						Roger.

-- 
Actor asks a collegue: "To what do you owe your success in acting?"
Answer: "Honesty. Once you've learned how to fake that, you've got it made."
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