grub4dos: two useful entries in menu.lst

Hello,

In my grub4dos menu.lst, I have two useful entries (at least for me :-)), one is PLoP, the other is gPXE.

With PLoP, you can boot your plugged USB key/HDD without the need to change BIOS setting (change boot priority to boot from USB key/HDD first). PLoP can also, as you probably already know, boot from internal SD card reader, or boot USB key/HDD with USB 2.0 speed (even if your BIOS boots with USB 1.x speed, or even if your BIOS does not support booting from USB).

With gPXE, similarly you can choose to boot from network card, without changing the BIOS setting. gPXE (open source) provides a direct replacement for proprietary PXE ROMs, with many extra features such as DNS, HTTP, iSCSI, greater speed, etc. .. and is of course compatible with TFTP.
Note: as far as I know, grub4dos does not have a built-in command to boot from network card (PXE).


PLoP boot manager:
http://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager.html

Etherboot/gPXE:
http://etherboot.org/wiki/index.php


menu.lst:

#

title gPXE v0.9.6 boot (Etherboot, network boot)

map --mem /images/gpxe_0.9.6.dsk (fd0)

map --hook

chainloader (fd0)+1

rootnoverify (fd0)

map --floppies=1



#

title PLoP Boot Manager 5.0.3 (iso), boot from USB, CD-ROM

find --set-root --ignore-floppies --ignore-cd /images/plpbt.iso

map /images/plpbt.iso (hd32)

map --hook

chainloader (hd32)

gPXE build:

Download the gPXE tarball (tar.gz) from here:

http://etherboot.org/wiki/download



To build it from Linux-based OS:

cd /usr/local/src

tar -xzvf gpxe.tar.gz

cd gpxe/src

make



You got at the end of build the file bin/gpxe.dsk that I rename to gpxe_0.9.6.dsk.

as already mentioned here:
http://www.boot-land...?...ost&p=73319
or directly from the plop-homepage:
http://www.plop.at/e....html#noinstall
for plop you only need:

title PLoP Boot Manager

root (hd0,0)

kernel /boot/plpbt.bin

> for plop you only need:
> ...
You are right, but there is a little problem with this. If for some reason I want to invoke PLoP again from my USB key, it hangs. The iso method on contrary can be invoked many times together with grub4dos without any hang.

Edit (add) :
One of the reason is (since PLoP supports only booting from one USB (no choice of which plugged USB key/HDDs to boot from)) the following scenario to bypass this limitation:

Internal HDD IDE with grub4dos/PLoP with one USB HDD1 plugged
-> boots HDD IDE PLoP -> boot USB: USB HDD1 which contains also grub4dos/PLoP
-> boot USB HDD1 PLoP then unplug USB HDD1 (plbt.iso already loaded in memory) and plug USB HDD2
-> boot USB HDD2 OK.

i configured gPXE with ur configuration but i am not getting any boot menu
all i am getting something like the following



non stop scrolling on screen initially i thought its searching for proper driver as i downloaded .dsk file with "gpxe:all drivers" settings from here: h**p://rom-o-matic.net/gpxe/gpxe-git/gpxe.git/contrib/rom-o-matic/
but after 15 mins i gave up, any suggestions for me

@Neel

You have to build the package (under Linux) as I mentioned, or you have to choose your NIC model and use the site configurator.

If for some reason I want to invoke PLoP again from my USB key, it hangs. The iso method on contrary can be invoked many times together with grub4dos without any hang.

If it hangs, may be better to use "plpbt.img".
Using "plpbt.iso" then the "plpbt.bin" - just existing within the floppy image, inside the ISO - editing (with its configurator) does not seem to work (hidden boot & USB 2.0 driver loading, as an example).

can i use the CD iso image instead of floppy dsk file? if yes is there any drawback of iso over dsk?

also i don't use Linux can i use any live cd for the completion of gpxe.tar.gz?

> an i use the CD iso image instead of floppy dsk file? if yes is there any drawback of iso over dsk?
Yes. In the build, the result binaries I found were a dsk, no iso so I used the dsk file. Building iso would requires other Linux tools (cd-rom related), which may not be available in the LiveCD. Otherwise for me iso or dsk is equal for me, once grub4dos can boot it.

> also i don't use Linux can i use any live cd for the completion of gpxe.tar.gz?
Of course yes.

is there any drawback of iso over dsk?

As already said, using the ISO then the "plpbt.bin" file custom-configuration will not result working.
Using the "plpbt.img" instead, the custom configuration will work.

You could (want to) edit the "plpbt.bin" file with its configurator "plpcfgbt.exe" http://www.plop.at/e...r.html#plpcfgbt in order to start from your UFD: hidden PLoP booting and USB 2.0 driver automatically loading, just as an example.

Also, please note that PLoP 5.0.3 ("plpbt-5.0.3.zip" http://www.plop.at/e...tmanagerdl.html) just contains both "plpbt.iso" and "plpbt.img".

15/01/2009 09.43 <DIR> install
15/07/2009 20.47 684 1README.TXT
28/03/2009 01.31 42.721 plpbt.bin
03/02/2009 20.06 1.474.560 plpbt.img
28/03/2009 01.31 1.671.168 plpbt.iso
28/03/2009 01.30 46.449 readme.txt
28/03/2009 01.30 52.755 liesmich.txt
14/01/2009 10.02 1.373 licence.txt
7 File(s) 3.289.710 bytes

03/02/2009 20.14 1.474.560 plpbtin.img
28/03/2009 00.00 36.607 plpinst.com
28/03/2009 00.00 36.815 plpinstc.com
28/03/2009 01.31 1.671.168 plpbtin.iso
28/03/2009 00.00 36.815 plpinstc
5 File(s) 3.255.965 bytes

So, wanting to (custom) configure your "plpbt.bin" you have first to edit/configure it with the already mentioned "plpcfgbt.exe" configurator and then to replace it (that's the just edited "plpbt.bin") within the "plpbt.img" file.
http://www.boot-land...?...ost&p=73455

So, the custom configuration will work with the IMG file and it will not result to work with the ISO image.