Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rice!sun-spots-request
From: userDAR@mts.ucs.UAlberta.CA (David Ross)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun
Subject: Network Boot problems
Keywords: Networks
Message-ID: <9825@brazos.Rice.edu>
Date: 11 Jul 90 17:53:42 GMT
Sender: root@rice.edu
Organization: Sun-Spots
Lines: 40
Approved: Sun-Spots@rice.edu
X-Sun-Spots-Digest: Volume 9, Issue 248, message 14

I hope this hasn't been asked and/or cleared up before, but...

I have two SPARCstation 1's - one diskless and a client of the second.
They are running SunOS 4.0.3 and I have installed the Name Server resolver
library but we are still using YP.

When booting the client I get the messages:
  Booting from: le(0,0,0)vmunix
  21a00  Using IP address 129.128.8.234 = 818008EA
  hostname: spectrum.ucs.ualberta.ca
> Boot: null domain name returned by bootparam server

Then, after a long while I get:
  Boot: dialog with bootparam server failed (error 0x4)
  Boot: can't get bootparam server to answer for this client (error 0x4)
  Boot: unable to mount root
  ...

Based on TFM this means it's loaded the boot program via TFTP and has
asked bootparamd on the server for it's info.  Running bootparamd with the
-d option also shows the correct info being returned to the client (I
think) It says:

  Whoami returning name = spectrum.ucs.ualberta.ca, router address =...
           129.128.8.1 (which is the default router for this subnet)

The client is obviously getting it's correct IP address and hostname, so
what does "null domain name" mean?  This seems to have started when I put
in the resolver library.  I've tried different combinations of fully
qualified and unqualifed host names in hosts, ethers, and bootparams, but
no luck.  If anybody can tell me what heck I'm doing wrong, I'd be glad to
hear it.  I'll be upgrading to 4.1 soon - will 4.1 solve my problems?  Is
it a resolver lib problem or I am out to lunch?

Thanks for any help!

David A. Ross, Programmer/Analyst  | Internet: david_ross@mts.ucs.UAlberta.CA
University Computing Systems       | Bitnet:   userdar@ualtamts.BITNET
352 Gen Serv Bldg, Univ of Alberta | Uucp:   ..!alberta!uqv-mts!david_ross
Edmonton, Alberta, Can.  T6G 2H1   | Phone:    1-403-492-2462