Subject: Netboot with DHCP
To: None <port-i386@netbsd.org>
From: Graham Jenkins <c714553@vus415.telstra.com.au>
List: port-i386
Date: 12/23/1999 18:24:18
Guys (and others) - I know I've raised this one before - but it's still
something for which I have a REALLY pressing need. Typically I find
myself on site at another building within the organisation I serve - with
an urgent need to establish an X-window session to a server in another State.

There is never an X-terminal available - but there are often unused PC's
(mostly with NT images on them - and needing a Netware password to start).

My ideal solution is a boot floppy which boots and gets an IP address for
itself, then goes through some dialog like that hereunder:

  booted: IP 144.123.45.77
        Mask 255.255.255.0
     Routers 144.123.45.1, 144.123.45.2
 Nameservers 144.136.201.10, 144.132.201.10
 Please enter fileserver name/IP:  vus415

 .. booting from vus415 using network information as above
 ...
 login: mylogin
 ...
 .. adding swap on host: vus415 ..
 .. READY

I know that there are things like picoBSD .. but they don't do DHCP.
There is also another bootable web-browser thing which does do DHCP -
but doesn't do Telnet - and doesn't run Java applets (for Telnet) either.

This would be a REALLY intersting project for someone with the necessary
skills ..

G.