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remote OS install and boot issues for test PCs

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Remote OS install and boot issues for test PCs.

In the BootProg thread, Alexei wrote:

> The idea was that small kernels could be booted off [of] the dev
> computer over the wire without the need to eject and insert a floppy.

The issue of remotely booting test machines was discussed here in the
past, perhaps with James.

The project below came up on Hackaday.  It's not for PC's, but may of
use for this situation.  It has an app which copies keystrokes and
mouse commands to a serial line.  On the receiving machine, they're
converted to HID commands to be received via USB.

app -> USB to serial adapter -> serial line -> serial to USB adapter

http://hackaday.com/2015/06/27/keymouserial-solves-your-raspberry-pi-keyboard-problems/

Also, another Hackaday article provides a USB PID for free.
http://hackaday.com/2015/04/03/usb-pids-for-all/

Hackaday
http://hackaday.com

The method above would probably be far cheaper than a commercial
IPKVM solution, but I'd think we'd want an Ethernet to USB solution
to support multiple test machines.

Otherwise, perhaps a compact flash memory card to IDE adapter card
could be modified to accept data via another computer or a
microcontroller.  Note, that's an IDE interface, not floppy.  A SATA
bridge adapter would be needed for SATA to convert the IDE adapter.
At this point in time, it seems to be difficult to location floppy
adapters, which could possibly be use for something like this.

At a minimum, I would think that at least one machine is needed
to receive bootable images from the internet, copy files to the
test machines' boot drive, boot it, reformat it, reset it if it
hangs, etc.  This, of course, would seem to require some custom
hardware too.

Another option would be a machine which "ping-pong" boots.  It
would still need some hardware to reset the machine if it hangs,
but otherwise would be self-contained.  The BIOS would boot a
modern OS first, like Linux, download an image to boot, write
the image to a drive, re-boot and boot the downloaded image.
The downloaded image would need to re-boot to return to Linux.
IIRC, there is a daisy-chain booting effect on Int 18h or 19h
for modern BIOSes, but not older BIOSes.


Rod Pemberton

-- 
Tolerance and socialism attracts intolerance and terrorism.  See:
France, United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, ...

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remote OS install and boot issues for test PCs "Rod Pemberton" <boo@fasdfrewar.cdm> - 2015-06-29 19:16 -0400
  Re: remote OS install and boot issues for test PCs "James Harris" <james.harris.1@gmail.com> - 2015-07-01 11:12 +0100
    Re: remote OS install and boot issues for test PCs "Rod Pemberton" <boo@fasdfrewar.cdm> - 2015-07-01 16:25 -0400
      Re: remote OS install and boot issues for test PCs "Alexei A. Frounze" <alexfrunews@gmail.com> - 2015-07-01 21:29 -0700
        Re: remote OS install and boot issues for test PCs "Rod Pemberton" <boo@fasdfrewar.cdm> - 2015-07-02 18:24 -0400
          Re: remote OS install and boot issues for test PCs "James Harris" <james.harris.1@gmail.com> - 2015-07-03 08:39 +0100
            Re: remote OS install and boot issues for test PCs "Rod Pemberton" <boo@fasdfrewar.cdm> - 2015-07-03 04:09 -0400
              Re: remote OS install and boot issues for test PCs "James Harris" <james.harris.1@gmail.com> - 2015-07-03 10:31 +0100
      Re: remote OS install and boot issues for test PCs "James Harris" <james.harris.1@gmail.com> - 2015-07-02 07:15 +0100
      Re: remote OS install and boot issues for test PCs "s_dubrovich@yahoo.com" <s_dubrovich@yahoo.com> - 2015-07-04 08:58 -0700
        Re: remote OS install and boot issues for test PCs "Rod Pemberton" <boo@fasdfrewar.cdm> - 2015-07-05 02:27 -0400

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