====== Differences ====== This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.
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concepts [2009/01/07 16:35] andytim created |
concepts [2010/11/05 06:19] (current) genec COM32: What works |
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| ====== What Is gPXE? in Brief ====== | ====== What Is gPXE? in Brief ====== | ||
| - | gPXE is a boot-loader: a program that allows your computer to load either another boot-loader or your Operating System. gPXE, however, allows the computer to boot via a network, rather than a disk. gPXE is the direct descendant of Etherboot; both are part of the Etherboot project, though Etherboot is no longer maintained. | + | gPXE is a boot-loader: a program that allows your computer to load either another boot-loader or your Operating System. gPXE, however, is a very special kind of boot-loader that allows the computer to boot via a network, rather than a disk. gPXE is the direct descendant of Etherboot; both are part of the Etherboot project, though Etherboot is no longer maintained. |
| ====== Download Protocols ====== | ====== Download Protocols ====== | ||
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| |gPXE Script| | | |gPXE Script| | | ||
| |Linux bzImage (Kernel)| | | |Linux bzImage (Kernel)| | | ||
| - | |COMBOOT/COMBOOT32| | | + | |COMBOOT/COM32| Not COM32R (Syslinux v4.00+); Use Syslinux 3.86 | |
| |EFI|Only Applicable on EFI Platform| | |EFI|Only Applicable on EFI Platform| | ||
| ====== gPXE Shell ====== | ====== gPXE Shell ====== | ||
| - | gPXE has a command-line interface (CLI), also called a shell, which allows you some manual control over what gPXE does. Shell commands can be grouped together, one per line, into a file called a script. Some of the command categories are: | + | gPXE has a command-line interface (CLI), also called a shell, which allows you some manual control over what gPXE does. Shell commands can be grouped together, one per line, into a file called a script. In order for a script to be recognized by gPXE as a bootable image, you must put the following as the first line in the script: |
| + | #!gpxe | ||
| + | Some of the command categories are: | ||
| |Automatic Booting| | |Automatic Booting| | ||
| |Non-Volatile Option Storage (NVO)| | |Non-Volatile Option Storage (NVO)| | ||
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| ====== gPXE Formats ====== | ====== gPXE Formats ====== | ||
| - | In order to allow a variety of methods for loading and running gPXE, the core of the program is prefixed by another program which is specific to a particular booting scenario or bootable media. These different prefii are: | + | ===== The Prefix ===== |
| - | |ROM|For flashing/burning/programming gPXE onto a chip| | + | In order to allow a variety of methods for loading and running gPXE, the core of the program is prefixed by another program which is specific to a particular booting scenario or bootable media. These different prefices are: |
| + | |ROM|For flashing gPXE onto a chip or as a loadable module from BIOS| | ||
| + | |PXE|TODO| | ||
| + | |KPXE|For loading gPXE from a PXE boot-loader via a network| | ||
| + | |ELF|TODO| | ||
| + | |ELFD|TODO| | ||
| + | |LMELF|TODO| | ||
| + | |LMELFD|TODO| | ||
| + | |LKRN|For loading gPXE as a pseudo-"Linux Kernel"-format file in a compliant boot-loader (LILO, SYSLINUX, EXTLINUX, ISOLINUX, PXELINUX, GRUB, etc.)| | ||
| + | |bImage|TODO| | ||
| + | |DSK|For loading gPXE from a floppy disk with no filesystem on it| | ||
| + | |NBI|For loading gPXE from a PXE boot-loader via a network| | ||
| + | |HD|For loading gPXE from a hard disk drive with no filesystem(s) on it| | ||
| + | |RAW|TODO| | ||
| + | |COM|For loading gPXE from a DOS prompt (Jan-7-2009: Broken)| | ||
| + | |EXE|For loading gPXE from a DOS prompt (Jan-7-2009: Broken)| | ||
| + | Each of these different formats for gPXE are available as compressed or uncompressed. | ||
| + | |||
| + | ===== The Drivers ===== | ||
| + | gPXE can be compiled to contain network interface drivers in three different ways: | ||
| + | |A Single Network Interface Driver|make bin/eepro100.lkrn; make bin/VVVVDDDD.lkrn| | ||
| + | |All Network Interface Drivers|make bin/gpxe.lkrn| | ||
| + | |A Single Driver that Uses the Network Interface's Built-In UNDI|make bin/undionly.lkrn| | ||
