u-boot also supports pxe booting using a syslinux config file https://github.com/u-boot/u-boot/blob/master/doc/README.pxe

Dennis

On Tue, Sep 15, 2020 at 5:43 PM Heinrich Schuchardt xypron.glpk@gmx.de wrote:

On 9/1/20 2:49 PM, Ahsan Zia (TAU) wrote:

...

Hi All,

I need some ideas regarding Boot Over Ehternet. I have been following the u boot document as well.

I am attempting BoE from a Linux Server to a cluster of Raspberry Pis.

i.e we have a Ubuntu (linux) Server with Raspbian image, the desired result is to somehow ''Mount'' the image, so that the Cluster of RPis can be booted-up using Ethernet? The image can be booted-up automatically when a new RPI is introduced into the system?

The RPIs are Power over Ethernet, PoE hats and have Raspbian lite pre-installed. The image can be booted-up automatically when a new RPI is introduced into the system?

Please post some ideas.

Best Regards, Ahsan Zia Project Researcher, Computing Sciences, Information Technology and Communication Sciences, Tampere University.

U-Boot supports booting via BOOTP and NFS: https://www.denx.de/wiki/publish/DULG/to-delete/LinuxNfsRoot.html

Or you can use iSCSI using U-Boot and iPXE: https://u-boot.readthedocs.io/en/latest/uefi/iscsi.html

But why do you need network boot if you already have Rasbian lite pre-installed on the Raspberries?

What I would typically do in a cluster is to mount the working directory via iSCSI and keep the operating system on the SD card. This configuration is much more stable during OS updates then a network drive. And using an iSCSI server (e.g. on one of the RPis) I only need one SSD drive for the cluster.

Best regards

Heinrich