Diskless & Thin Systems

[Jason Straight]

On Sunday 19 March 2006 23:40, Barry Dexter A. Gonzaga wrote:
> Good day!
>
> On Sun, Mar 19, 2006 at 10:39:38PM -0500, Jason Straight wrote:
> > I've recently installed a new lab at our local library, and I have a few
> > suggestions that could make ubuntu more thinclient/diskless friendly out
> > of the box.
>
> 	Also finished converting our 60 diskless gentoo workstations to ubuntu.
> Had to wait for a key kubuntu kinks in handling floppy mounts before
> deploying.
>
> > 1. Compile in kernel ip autoconfig and dhcp
> > 2. Compile support for booting from NFS
>
> 	Not necessary.
>
> 	/etc/mkinitramfs/initramfst.conf
> 	-BOOT=local
> 	+BOOT=nfs
>
> 	recreate your initrd/initramfs. you can also supply your nfs root
> 	via kernel commandline nfsroot=$SERVERIP:$PATH.
>
> 	<SNIP>

You're right there, I didn't realize that NFS root was compiled as an option, 
but still one would need kernel level autoconfiguration [which doesn't seem 
to be in standard kernel] and dhcp in the kernel to have networking available 
for ntfs. Which seems odd that ntfs root is in the standard kernel and 
autoconfig isn't, making ntfs root useless w/o a recompile anyway.

That is unless the initrd has enough of the system to bring up networking too.

> > *What I find odd is that it seems different systems I install ubuntu
> > (dapper included) seem to mount some /var dirs tmpfs (err
> > varrun,varlock), while other times not. What's the criteria that decides
> > this during installation?
>
> 	on dapper var/{run,lock} is tmpfs mounted, not on my breezy expert
> installs.
>
> 	Do take a look at ltsp init scripts, they were very enlightening on my
> setups.
>
> > --
> >
> > | Jason Straight
>
> Mabuhay! barryg
>
> --
> Barry Dexter A. Gonzaga, bofh
> barryg-ubuntu-devel at kssp.upd.edu.ph

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