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From: lance@belltec.UUCP (Lance Norskog)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc
Subject: Re: booting a diskless pc from a UNIX server?
Summary: diskless UNIX not worth it
Message-ID: <404@belltec.UUCP>
Date: 22 Sep 89 01:24:37 GMT
References: <1681@apt.UUCP> <522N02oj58zi01@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Bell Technologies, Fremont, CA
Lines: 24

In article <522N02oj58zi01@amdahl.uts.amdahl.com>, kelly@uts.amdahl.com (Kelly Goen) writes:
> Along the same lines....hm I have 3 binary licenses for 386IX and
> wd ethernet cards with the boot prom.... 

There are three reasons for diskless UNIX: cost, security, and physical
safety (industrial vibrations).

We looked into doing a remotely booted 386 UNIX, but it's not worth it.
Hard disks are so cheap, and faster than Ethernet.
You may want to put cheap 20meg disks on your satellites
and use those for swap and /.  Then, mount /usr and /tmp on the file 
server via NFS or RFS (better).  This will work much better than diskless UNIX.
Computer Surplus is dumping 20mg disks for $160.

You will have to rewrite the install floppy script for 386/ix to pull this
off, and probably it will take a lot of experimentation.  Bon chance.

Lance C Norskog
Sales Engineer, Streamlined Networks
thinman@cup.portal.com: 415-659-1450
-- 
Lance C Norskog
Sales Engineer, Streamlined Networks
thinman@cup.portal.com: 415-659-1450