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====== Warning: This is WORK IN PROGRESS! ======


This howto is based on the similar but different howto about [[sanboot:debian_lenny_iscsi|how to get iSCSI working with Debian Etch]]. For those that allready read that, the main differences can be summarized as follows:

* The ''fwparam_ibft'' utility used in the initrd scripts in the Debian Etch solution does not exist anymore. Its functionality has changed slightly, and it has been merged into the other tool called ''iscsistart''. Both utilites are/were part of the [Open-iSCSI|http://www.open-iscsi.org/] software.
* While the iSCSI + Etch guide told you to compile from source, Lenny actually has a package called ''open-iscsi'' in its repository that you can isntall and use. Simply say<pre>aptitude install open-iscsi</pre> to have it installed.

Now if Open-iSCSI is in the repositories then why did I bother to write this howto? Good question! The answer is simply that you don't get the same result with the iSCSI + Etch howto as you get when instlling open-iscsi from the lenny repositories. While the "etch solution" fetches iscsi parameters from the [[iBFT]], the "built-in lenny solution" fetches the parameters from configuration file(s) under /etc/ in the initramfs image itself.

While this simple distinction might seem innocent enough, it really isn't. In many cases it is impracticalt to create a new initrd or root image to change the iscsi parameters. Luckily, for most people there is a more elegant way to get the parameters. The latest lenny kernel (as of 4. November 2009) has an [[iBFT]] function compiled in that makes fetching the iSCSI parameters from iBFT really easy. From your initrd script, simply traverse the directory <pre>/sys/firmware/ibft</pre> The files in there contain all the ibft information you could ever want.

===== XEN Troubles =====

There is a catch though. The /sys/firmware/ibft directory is empty if you boot with a xen kernel. This is due to a bug that makes the kernel unable to map memory below 1mb correctly.
http://wiki.debian.org/DebianKernelCustomCompilation

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