At 10:29 AM +1000 13/9/99, Chris Collins wrote:
>On Mon, 13 Sep 1999, Richard Spindler wrote:
>
> > >
> > >Just a preemptive warning, tftp on linux in general is broken - since
> > >nobody seems to patch the blessed thing.
> >
> > Works fine under debian, i have done several tftp/bootp installs on
> > NetBSD to DECStation 2100s using it.
>
>it mightn't affect DECStations, but it breaks sparcstations badly. :(

:-)

>
>The problems in the tftpd are as follows:
>
>1) /tftpboot IS NOT the root directory for tftp as documented and
>   parameter 1 is ignored.

Yes this is true, took me a bit of hair pulling before I saw this :-).

>
>2) Unpathed TFTP requests are rejected.

Yes, although once you get the directory right in the tftp config, it 
is usually ok.  Although it still fails occasionally, seem to have to 
do it twice on the 2100, fails the first time then works the second.

>
>3) The classic TFTP sources don't compile clean against glibc2 [they need
>   editing]

Haven't tried compiling it I must admit, it just worked under debian.

>
>These can be easily patched in the code, but nobody AFAIK has submitted
>formal patches except for 3.
>
>Point 2 is the real killer though.  Sun SparcStations don't send a leading
>/ on the request filename, so the unpatched tftpd rejects them.
>
>I'm not sure if these were fixed in debian, since I haven't tftp booted a
>box in a while.
>
>Also, I was having similar problems booting a DecStation 5000/240 which
>was trapping in the boot rom before the tftp started AFAIK [my machines
>are at opposite end of the house, so tcpdump is a little inconveniant to
>run to monitor the negotiation.]

It is a while since I have done one, but I found it was much more 
reliable with bootp setup as well and if I manually did the setenv 
stuff to put a real ip address for the bootp server, I was doing it 
at work, and the Name Server kept responding instead of my tftp 
machine.

Regards Richard

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Richard Spindler BEng Hon. mailto:Richard.Spindler@its.monash.edu.au
Shared Systems, Systems Programmer,               Ph: +61 3 99054749
Mob: 0409 862 135                                Fax: +61 3 99054746
Monash University Clayton Campus,  Wellington Road,  Clayton,  3168.
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