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
-
Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
-
Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.
-
New Pentesting Distribution to Compete with Kali Linux
SnoopGod is now available for your testing needs
-
Juno Computers Launches Another Linux Laptop
If you're looking for a powerhouse laptop that runs Ubuntu, the Juno Computers Neptune 17 v6 should be on your radar.
-
ZorinOS 17.1 Released, Includes Improved Windows App Support
If you need or desire to run Windows applications on Linux, there's one distribution intent on making that easier for you and its new release further improves that feature.
-
Linux Market Share Surpasses 4% for the First Time
Look out Windows and macOS, Linux is on the rise and has even topped ChromeOS to become the fourth most widely used OS around the globe.
-
KDE’s Plasma 6 Officially Available
KDE’s Plasma 6.0 "Megarelease" has happened, and it's brimming with new features, polish, and performance.
-
Latest Version of Tails Unleashed
Tails 6.0 is based on Debian 12 and includes GNOME 43.
-
KDE Announces New Slimbook V with Plenty of Power and KDE’s Plasma 6
If you're a fan of KDE Plasma, you'll be thrilled to hear they've announced a new Slimbook with an AMD CPU and the latest version of KDE Plasma desktop.
-
Monthly Sponsorship Includes Early Access to elementary OS 8
If you want to get a glimpse of what's in the pipeline for elementary OS 8, just set up a monthly sponsorship to help fund its continued existence.