[Beowulf] motherboards for diskless nodes

[alvin]

Alpay Kasal wrote:

>Donald Becker just mentioned "RPL", I do believe that is what I was
>referring to in my last response.
>
>  
>
>>PS: PXE is not the only embedded method of bootnic. I forget the other
>>    
>>
>method but it's often paired with onboard realtek8139's, an old intel
>standard (?) which is useless these days but still found on some new
>motherboards. Maybe someone else here knows what I'm referring too.
>
>  
>
RPL if I remember correctly was a IBM/Novell protocol for booting.  
There are reports it can be made to boot linux directly but I had it 
boot an etherboot image.

Etherboot is another boot protocol that in some use I have a funny 
feeling it was based on a Sun protocol that was around before open boot.

Etherboot can be put into non PXE flash bioses and has support for 
things like serial console.  There could be an argument made to rip the 
PXE out of your new motherboard BIOS and replace it with etherboot.


Alvin