[ipxe-devel] cpio on the fly generation breaks for large images

Fri Oct 18 13:48:51 UTC 2013

I cannot confirm that loading WIM files via Syslinux-->Wimboot works for larger WIMs than loading them via iPXE-->Wimboot.
Both methods result in the same behavior as far as I can test on my systems.

Intel 2,26GHz P9300 Penryn CPU with LOM Intel 82567LM Boazman or RTL8111C. CPIO and iPXE methods result in 0xC0000017 Stop message. Screenshot "Intel_82567_(CPIO)(iPXE)_Wimboot.JPG". Limit for WIM size is ~320MB. 
System uses AMI Bios Core Version 4.6.0.3.

Intel 1,6GHz N2600 Atom Cedarview CPU with LOM Intel I210 or RTL8111D. CPIO and iPXE methods result in 0xC000000D Stop message. Screenshot " Intel_I210_(CPIO)(iPXE)_Wimboot.JPG". Limit for WIM size is ~230MB!!!
System uses AMI Bios Core Version 4.6.5.3.

Asus Mainboard P7P55D-E 3GHz Core i3 540 with LOM Realtek RTL8111D CPIO or iPXE method works like a charm without any Stop message. Screenshot "Asus_RTL8111D_(CPIO)(iPXE)_Wimboot.JPG"
System uses AMI Bios Core Version 2.6.1.

HomeBrew baseboard with Realtek RTL8101E Intel Core2 Duo U2500 1,2GHz CPIO or iPXE method works like a charm without any Stop message.
System uses AMI Bios Core Version 4.6.3.

VirtualBox with Intel Pro1000MT CPIO or iPXE method works like a charm without any Stop message. Screenshot "IntelPro1000MT_VirtualBox_(CPIO)(iPXE)_Wimboot.jpg" Up to now no known limits for WIM size. iPXE Wimboot tested up to 481MB with a PE3x64.

All tests were run with the very same boot.wim. The CPIO file was created using this same boot.wim.
All tests were run using the same Server, same switch and even the same network cable.
Always chainloaded via Pxelinux -->iPXE -->...
This boot.wim runs on all tested platforms if the ISO is loaded via ipxe --> memdisk or if the boot.wim is directly loaded via chainloading Pxelinux --> wdsnbp.

Could this be a Bios problem?

mit freundlichen Grüßen
with kind regards

i. A. Dipl.Ing. (FH) Frank Hummel
Systementwicklung
System development

ads-tec GmbH
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Fax:    +49 711 45894-987
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-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: ipxe-devel-bounces at lists.ipxe.org [mailto:ipxe-devel-bounces at lists.ipxe.org] Im Auftrag von Michael Brown
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 16. Oktober 2013 16:52
An: Steven Dick
Cc: ipxe-devel at lists.ipxe.org
Betreff: Re: [ipxe-devel] cpio on the fly generation breaks for large images

On 16/10/13 05:19, Steven Dick wrote:
> It was suggested on the ipxe forum that I try to load the same cpio 
> image using ipxe directly to see if the on the fly cpio image 
> generation was broken, but it seems that it breaks there too.
>
> I suspect that there is something wrong with ipxe's memory management 
> that syslinux gets right for images larger than 320M.  The result is 
> that an image that wimboot+syslinux loads fine gets corrupted (and 
> gives the windows white error screen) when loaded with ipxe.

That's interesting; once iPXE or syslinux hands over to wimboot, it should only be wimboot's memory management that matters.

Could you try both iPXE and syslinux with the attached patched version of wimboot?  This version should stop immediately before jumping to bootmgr.exe, allowing you to take a screenshot showing all relevant addresses used.

Thanks,

Michael
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