[Qemu-devel] Suggested Wiki Update

[Qemu-devel] Suggested Wiki Update

[Viktor Mihajlovski]

Hi,

the content of https://wiki.qemu.org/index.php/Features/S390xNetworkBoot
is slightly outdated since proper DHCP based netboot support for s390x
has been implemented by the series ending with commit 29d1221.

As it is still desirable to provide some instructions on building
network bootable images for the s390x architecture, I'd like to suggest
that the text is replaced (see proposal below). Conny, could I once more
request your help in that matter?

== Building a s390 network bootable binary ==

Since 2.10 QEMU offers network boot support which allows to load a
binary from a TFTP server and boot it. As s390 network bootable images
are not very common, this document gives a brief overview on how to
build one.

A s390 network bootable image can be built by bundling some shell
scripts, busybox and the kexec binary bundled into an initial ramdisk
and append that to a kernel image. An existing s390 system can be used
as source.

One way to do that is to take a kernel and an installer initial ramdisk
from a distribution's DVD/ISO and concatenate them. Some fixups are
necessary int the new binary, which can be done by using the script in
[https://github.com/ibm-s390-tools/s390-tools/blob/master/netboot/mk-s390image].
Booting this image would then start the installation process as if
booted from the DVD.

Another possible way is to build a binary that behaves similar to the
PXELINUX boot loader. In this case an initial ramdisk with an init
process triggering the PXELINUX-like processing has to be built as
described in
[https://github.com/ibm-s390-tools/s390-tools/tree/master/netboot]. The
site also contains a script assisting in the creation of such an initial
ramdisk.

-- 

Mit freundlichen Grüßen/Kind Regards
   Viktor Mihajlovski

IBM Deutschland Research & Development GmbH
Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: Martina Köderitz
Geschäftsführung: Dirk Wittkopp
Sitz der Gesellschaft: Böblingen
Registergericht: Amtsgericht Stuttgart, HRB 243294

Re: [Qemu-devel] Suggested Wiki Update

[Christian Borntraeger]

Looks good to me. I somehow lost my wiki password, so maybe Conny can do the
update until this is fixed....

On 09/12/2017 10:57 AM, Viktor Mihajlovski wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> the content of https://wiki.qemu.org/index.php/Features/S390xNetworkBoot
> is slightly outdated since proper DHCP based netboot support for s390x
> has been implemented by the series ending with commit 29d1221.
> 
> As it is still desirable to provide some instructions on building
> network bootable images for the s390x architecture, I'd like to suggest
> that the text is replaced (see proposal below). Conny, could I once more
> request your help in that matter?
> 
> == Building a s390 network bootable binary ==
> 
> Since 2.10 QEMU offers network boot support which allows to load a
> binary from a TFTP server and boot it. As s390 network bootable images
> are not very common, this document gives a brief overview on how to
> build one.
> 
> A s390 network bootable image can be built by bundling some shell
> scripts, busybox and the kexec binary bundled into an initial ramdisk
> and append that to a kernel image. An existing s390 system can be used
> as source.
> 
> One way to do that is to take a kernel and an installer initial ramdisk
> from a distribution's DVD/ISO and concatenate them. Some fixups are
> necessary int the new binary, which can be done by using the script in
> [https://github.com/ibm-s390-tools/s390-tools/blob/master/netboot/mk-s390image].
> Booting this image would then start the installation process as if
> booted from the DVD.
> 
> Another possible way is to build a binary that behaves similar to the
> PXELINUX boot loader. In this case an initial ramdisk with an init
> process triggering the PXELINUX-like processing has to be built as
> described in
> [https://github.com/ibm-s390-tools/s390-tools/tree/master/netboot]. The
> site also contains a script assisting in the creation of such an initial
> ramdisk.
> 

Re: [Qemu-devel] Suggested Wiki Update

[Cornelia Huck]

On Tue, 12 Sep 2017 10:57:14 +0200
Viktor Mihajlovski <mihajlov@linux.vnet.ibm.com> wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> the content of https://wiki.qemu.org/index.php/Features/S390xNetworkBoot
> is slightly outdated since proper DHCP based netboot support for s390x
> has been implemented by the series ending with commit 29d1221.
> 
> As it is still desirable to provide some instructions on building
> network bootable images for the s390x architecture, I'd like to suggest
> that the text is replaced (see proposal below). Conny, could I once more
> request your help in that matter?
> 
> == Building a s390 network bootable binary ==
> 
> Since 2.10 QEMU offers network boot support which allows to load a
> binary from a TFTP server and boot it. As s390 network bootable images
> are not very common, this document gives a brief overview on how to
> build one.
> 
> A s390 network bootable image can be built by bundling some shell
> scripts, busybox and the kexec binary bundled into an initial ramdisk
> and append that to a kernel image. An existing s390 system can be used
> as source.
> 
> One way to do that is to take a kernel and an installer initial ramdisk
> from a distribution's DVD/ISO and concatenate them. Some fixups are
> necessary int the new binary, which can be done by using the script in
> [https://github.com/ibm-s390-tools/s390-tools/blob/master/netboot/mk-s390image].
> Booting this image would then start the installation process as if
> booted from the DVD.
> 
> Another possible way is to build a binary that behaves similar to the
> PXELINUX boot loader. In this case an initial ramdisk with an init
> process triggering the PXELINUX-like processing has to be built as
> described in
> [https://github.com/ibm-s390-tools/s390-tools/tree/master/netboot]. The
> site also contains a script assisting in the creation of such an initial
> ramdisk.
> 

Looks good.

Can you perhaps add a sentence that the base support is available with
2.9 and netboot with 2.10? ('Overview' looks like a good place for
that.)

Re: [Qemu-devel] Suggested Wiki Update

[Thomas Huth]

On 12.09.2017 13:18, Cornelia Huck wrote:
> On Tue, 12 Sep 2017 10:57:14 +0200
> Viktor Mihajlovski <mihajlov@linux.vnet.ibm.com> wrote:
> 
>> Hi,
>>
>> the content of https://wiki.qemu.org/index.php/Features/S390xNetworkBoot
>> is slightly outdated since proper DHCP based netboot support for s390x
>> has been implemented by the series ending with commit 29d1221.
>>
>> As it is still desirable to provide some instructions on building
>> network bootable images for the s390x architecture, I'd like to suggest
>> that the text is replaced (see proposal below). Conny, could I once more
>> request your help in that matter?
>>
>> == Building a s390 network bootable binary ==
>>
>> Since 2.10 QEMU offers network boot support which allows to load a
>> binary from a TFTP server and boot it. As s390 network bootable images
>> are not very common, this document gives a brief overview on how to
>> build one.
>>
>> A s390 network bootable image can be built by bundling some shell
>> scripts, busybox and the kexec binary bundled into an initial ramdisk
>> and append that to a kernel image. An existing s390 system can be used
>> as source.
>>
>> One way to do that is to take a kernel and an installer initial ramdisk
>> from a distribution's DVD/ISO and concatenate them. Some fixups are
>> necessary int the new binary, which can be done by using the script in
>> [https://github.com/ibm-s390-tools/s390-tools/blob/master/netboot/mk-s390image].
>> Booting this image would then start the installation process as if
>> booted from the DVD.
>>
>> Another possible way is to build a binary that behaves similar to the
>> PXELINUX boot loader. In this case an initial ramdisk with an init
>> process triggering the PXELINUX-like processing has to be built as
>> described in
>> [https://github.com/ibm-s390-tools/s390-tools/tree/master/netboot]. The
>> site also contains a script assisting in the creation of such an initial
>> ramdisk.
>>
> 
> Looks good.
> 
> Can you perhaps add a sentence that the base support is available with
> 2.9 and netboot with 2.10? ('Overview' looks like a good place for
> that.)

FWIW, I think it would also be good to add a sentence about the need to
specify "bootindex" somewhere (I remember trying to use "-boot n" the
first time I wanted to use it) ...

 Thomas

Re: [Qemu-devel] Suggested Wiki Update

[Viktor Mihajlovski]

On 12.09.2017 13:25, Thomas Huth wrote:
> On 12.09.2017 13:18, Cornelia Huck wrote:
[...]
>>
>> Looks good.
>>
>> Can you perhaps add a sentence that the base support is available with
>> 2.9 and netboot with 2.10? ('Overview' looks like a good place for
>> that.)
> 
> FWIW, I think it would also be good to add a sentence about the need to
> specify "bootindex" somewhere (I remember trying to use "-boot n" the
> first time I wanted to use it) ...
> 
Good points, I'll add more context ... thanks for the review.

-- 

Mit freundlichen Grüßen/Kind Regards
   Viktor Mihajlovski

IBM Deutschland Research & Development GmbH
Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrats: Martina Köderitz
Geschäftsführung: Dirk Wittkopp
Sitz der Gesellschaft: Böblingen
Registergericht: Amtsgericht Stuttgart, HRB 243294