Breathe new life into an old computer with PXE boot and TinyCore Linux
Retro PXE Functionality
Another really cool feature that can be implemented with my PXE environment is the ability to boot legacy raw disk images over PXE. This is accomplished using another component available within the Syslinux package: MEMDISK. Within the Syslinux archive that was downloaded earlier, this file is located in the /syslinux-4.04/memdisk
folder. To enable booting a floppy disk over the network, there are three steps. First, the MEMDISK file must be placed in the TFTP root (preferably in the boot folder). Second, the floppy disk image to be booted must be placed in the TFTP server root. A folder off of the TFTP root named floppy
could be created, and the disk image placed there. I would encourage playing with MenuetOS [5], a floppy disk OS with a GUI and many fun applications. Finally, a menu item must be configured to enable booting of the floppy disk. The menu item should look like this:
LABEL menuet MENU LABEL MenuetOS KERNEL /boot/memdisk INITRD /floppy/menuet.img
Note that the MEMDISK file is referenced as the kernel to be used and the floppy disk image is referenced as the init ramdisk. This could also be configured to boot a larger disk image; however, this could impact load time and possibly performance.
Conclusion
This project was a success. My kids enjoy being able to use the Internet, email grandma and grandpa, and play a few old legacy games that I've put on floppy disks. I enjoy not having to re-image the laptop when it gets shut down incorrectly. The system's resilience is a great asset, plus it's an excellent solution for breathing life into old computing hardware.
Infos
- TinyCore Linux: http://www.tinycorelinux.net/
- Syslinux: https://wiki.syslinux.org/
- inity.sh (manipulate init ramdisks): http://git.andydoestech.com/git/scripts/.git/tree/shell/inity.sh
- dnsmasq: http://www.thekelleys.org.uk/dnsmasq/doc.html
- MenuetOS: http://www.menuetos.net
« Previous 1 2
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you've found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Rocky Linux 9.3 is Available for Download
The latest version of the RHEL alternative is now available and brings back cloud and container images for ppc64le along with plenty of new features and fixes.
-
Ubuntu Budgie Shifts How to Tackle Wayland
Ubuntu Budgie has yet to make the switch to Wayland but with a change in approaches, they're finally on track to making it happen.
-
TUXEDO's New Ultraportable Linux Workstation Released
The TUXEDO Pulse 14 blends portability with power, thanks to the AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS CPU.
-
AlmaLinux Will No Longer Be "Just Another RHEL Clone"
With the release of AlmaLinux 9.3, the distribution will be built entirely from upstream sources.
-
elementary OS 8 Has a Big Surprise in Store
When elementary OS 8 finally arrives, it will not only be based on Ubuntu 24.04 but it will also default to Wayland for better performance and security.
-
OpenELA Releases Enterprise Linux Source Code
With Red Hat restricting the source for RHEL, it was only a matter of time before those who depended on that source struck out on their own.
-
StripedFly Malware Hiding in Plain Sight as a Cryptocurrency Miner
A rather deceptive piece of malware has infected 1 million Windows and Linux hosts since 2017.
-
Experimental Wayland Support Planned for Linux Mint 21.3
As with most Linux distributions, the migration to Wayland is in full force. While some distributions have already made the move, Linux Mint has been a bit slower to do so.
-
Window Maker Live 0.96.0-0 Released
If you're a fan of the Window Maker window manager, there's a new official release of the Linux distribution that champions the old-school user interface.
-
KDE Plasma 6 Sets Release Date
If you've been anxiously awaiting the release of the next big KDE Plasma milestone, you can rest assured it's sooner than you think.