Re: Flashing ROM from Linux?

[Bob Edwards <Robert.Edwards@anu.edu.au>]

Klaus Muth wrote:
> 
> Bob Edwards wrote:
> >
> > Has anyone a utility for flashing the ROM on an Intel EtherExpress Pro
> > 100+ from within Linux? My clients are all up and running Linux, but I
> Never heared from one ;/
> 
> > Any ideas?
> Yup.
> Try to install an DOS boot image on the server and boot DOS via Etherboot ;).
> I think there is lots of doc how to do that...
> 

Excellent idea, Klaus. After some messing around, I am now able to re-flash
all my machines with new code using a network boot of DOS 6.22. This has
saved me some hours of work with a screwdriver opening each machine and
installing the floppy drive.

For anyone wanting to know how to do it:

 1) make and make install mknbi-dos from etherboot-xxx/netboot-yyy/mknbi-dos
 2) copy over a floppy image of DOS (I used 6.22):
	dd if=/dev/fd0 of=dos622.img
 3) mount the image (if you have loopback mount support in your kernel):
	mount dos622.img dos -t msdos -o loop
 4) copy in the Intel FBOOT.EXE code available from www.intel.com
 5) copy the ROM image as <last 8 digits of ethernet address>.FLS, eg.:
	cp eepro100.rom dos/27905432.FLS
 6) umount image:
	umount dos
 7) run mknbi-dos:
	/usr/local/bin/mknbi-dos -r dos -o dos.nbi
 8) copy dos.nbi to your tftpboot area, edit /etc/bootptab to make it the
	boot image and boot the diskless machine
 9) DOS will (should) boot up and then run fboot to "restore" the FLASH ROM
	on the adaptor to your new image (in ????????.FLS). Probably, only
	23% of the flash rom will be reported as updated as the image is
	only 1/4 the size of the rom.
 10) reboot and enjoy!!!

Thanks again.

Cheers,

Bob Edwards.
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