Computer is restarting when i put bootrom into netcard.

["Prokopski Grzegorz El.I" <PROKOPSK@novell.itn.pwr.wroc.pl>]

Hi!

First: I hope i am doing the right thing writing such a letter to 
netboot@.... If i am wrong because of any reasons please forgive me.

Let's come to the point.
I have 16 identical computers (Pentium 166MMX 32MB RAM, diskless) using 
normally novell 3.11 to boot (RPL). In this net i have a linux server too.
For some reasons i need to boot this stations with non-commercial bootrom, 
using linux only so choosed to use etherboot bootroms.
The cards (NEPCI - detected under linux as Realtek 8029) already have a 
32KB boot roms which i dont want to erase. I have some 16KB 150ns EPROM's 
for further tests (in which i had old bootcode for NetWare for ne2000 
non pci cards). But first i wanted to test it with disk. So: with "disk 
bootrom booting" everithing worked FINE. no problems.

I took the nepci.rom file on the diskette and went to the shop where i 
programmed the bootrom. I put it into the card. 
But the only thing was the computer restart after the BIOS table with 
informations about the system. 
I couldn't even boot the computer from normal disk.
I had to turn it off because it was restarting and restarting...
Since then i checked boot rom's from 4.0 (the statdard - which come with 
the package as already compiled in /bin/32). I compiled my own, i put into 
boot rom a compressed image (at that time computer hangs up not 
restarting), finally i took the 4.0pre9 version (i've done it today) but 
the result is still the same.
I have to say that normall boot roms (even from ne 2000 non pci card 
using the same type of 16KB eproms) 
don't force computer to restart. I understand, that the boot rom size 
should be 32KB, but i can (with software controls) tell the card to expect 
16 KB boot rom. Without any change. (AFAIR when the sizes dont match boot 
rom shouldn't be even detected, or should be seen in two places of memory, 
but there should be no way to run some part of not detected boot rom).
I have tested at home using another PCI card (but also detected as Realtek 
8029), and I put the versions of bootroms into the normal ISA ne2000 card, 
I also burned ne.rom bootrom and put into ISA ne2000 (it wasn't detected 
anyway - card started as if there were no boot rom inside, but with old 
NetWare boot (not RPL), using the same type of eprom worked fine).

Please help me. I spoken (using e-mail) with people that have used 
etherboot without any problems. They dont know how to help me.
What am i doing wrong?

Afer all if you think that my request makes any sense please send me one 
or two working and tested *.rom files so that i could test it.
I dont wont them to work properly, only to write on the screen:
"I can't initialize hardware...." or anything but restarting the computer.

Waiting for anything....

                                            GREG__

PS. Maybe I'm not too good in writing letters in english. Thats why my 
letter was so long. I wanted you to undersand me well. Hope it worked.


+-- Grzegorz Prokopski ---- prokopsk@novell.itn.pwr.wroc.pl -----
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