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From: kuyper@cside1.uucp (Kuyper Hoffman)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Booting Packet Drivers from Ethernet ROMs
Keywords: packet drivers, novell, boot rom, romrel
Message-ID: <1991Jan25.104947.3482@cside1.uucp>
Date: 25 Jan 91 10:49:47 GMT
Reply-To: kuyper@cside1.UUCP (Kuyper Hoffman)
Organization: SCS-Cside1
Lines: 52

I am looking for some help with installing packet drivers on
diskless workstations booting from ROM.

I have read the Case Study by Wesleyan University which outlines
every step in lurid detail -- many thanks to the people responsible
for compiling this excellent document -- and have been able to
achieve the goal by following the steps as laid out in it.

However I have two problems; actually one point of concern and one
real problem.  The former relates to ROMREL.COM, the program that
releases the hooks into the system BIOS.  When I run this on a
diskless PC fitted with a NE1000 compatible card using interrupt 3:
	romrel 3
I get the message:
	Error: interrupt specified not available on PC/XT
I am using V2.0 of romrel, copyrighted 1983,1988.

This in itself did not seem to be a problem, as I could still
continue the boot successfully and managed to log in to Novell from
where I ran NCSA Telnet to gain access to any of the UNIX boxes on
my net.  So a comment/reassurance on this would be appreciated.

The real problem I have, however, is that the method described by
Wesleyan involves the use of a RamDrive which is fine if you have a
1MB machine and can place it in extended memory.  All our diskless
workstation are deliberately the cheapest things around and have
only 640K.  Stealing 100-120K for a RamDrive means not leaving a
helluva lot of free memory for large packages.... Is there any way
of not using the RamDrive, or freeing up the memory after it has
served it's purpose?

Alternately, does anyone know of a version of ipx that incorporates
a packet driver for the NE1000, eliminating the need for romrel.

The DOC file that comes with romrel explains that such
implementations do exist, but do not specify for what interface
cards or where to get them.  As I see it, by eliminating romrel,
the need for the RamDrive also falls away.

Any help would be appreciated, but as my News feed is tentative and
I am not sure which groups I receive regularly, could all followups
be mailed to me (feel free to also post for the general public if
you feel the urge).

Many thanks
Kuyper
-- 
+      Kuyper Hoffman                   +  I'd love to be a caterpillar
+  kuyper@cside1.UUCP                   +      Life would be a farce
+  ....!ddsw1!olsa99!oct1!cside1!kuyper + Sliding down the cabbage leaves
+                                       +  And landing on my .... knees.