[ipxe-devel] Create rom image with embedded script [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

[Michael Brown]

On Thursday 17 Feb 2011 01:03:44 Andrew Dwyer wrote:
> Following on from my previous message, I've flashed a rom built from the
>  iPXE trunk onto an Intel Pro 1000 GT card.  When I boot the machine the
>  iPXE prompt appears during the BIOS boot messages and before any of the
>  devices in the boot order (I don't actually see iPXE as an option in the
>  BIOS boot order menu).  If I hit ctrl+B and sanboot an image over iSCSI
>  that I previously created with gPXE my computer crashes.
> 
> Does anyone have any ideas?

Are you pressing Ctrl-B at the "...to configure iPXE" prompt, or the "...for 
the iPXE command line" prompt?

If the former, then it's unsurprising that sanbooting doesn't work; at this 
stage your computer has not yet completed POST, and the OS is likely to die 
because (for example) the system memory map may not yet be initialised.  :)

(The "...to configure iPXE" prompt is intended for users who need to change 
non-volatile stored options, rather than for booting.  We deliberately don't 
prevent the user from attempting to boot, since there exist some situations in 
which it's an extremely useful way to rescue an otherwise-unbootable system, 
but in general you shouldn't expect booting to work at this "...to configure 
iPXE" point.)

So, assuming this is the case, the real question is then why it doesn't show 
up as a boot option.  Could you post the whole of the BIOS detection line (the 
line immediately before "Press Ctrl-B to configure iPXE")?

Thanks,

Michael