Subject: 1.3 netboot installation oddities
To: None <port-sparc@NetBSD.ORG>
From: Michael K. Sanders <msanders@aros.net>
List: port-sparc
Date: 01/18/1998 19:00:51
I ran into a couple problems while doing a network installation of
1.3 on an IPC that I hope someone will be able to comment on...

First, I've sucessfully netbooted sun boxes many times, but this time
something odd happened.  After sending the RARP request, the client
got a response from the server, but the subsequent TFTP request was
being ignored.  I re-checked the configuration and everything was
in order-- a tcpdump showed the TFTP request, but no response.  It
also showed that the server was making an ARP request for the client's
address!  Checking the ARP table showed an entry for the client at
(incomplete).  After manually adding the correct ARP entry, the
TFTP proceeded to work as expected.  The server was a NetBSD/i386 box
running a 1.2G snapshot.  Any ideas why this would happen?  

One other minor problem that I keep encountering is with the format 
of /etc/exports.  I inevitably use the hostname in the exports line
the first time I set up a diskless client, and it inevitably fails
to mount the filesystems.  It doesn't work until I change the
hostname to the IP address of the client.  Why is this?

Curiously,

:: Mike ::