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BootNet is an application that loads the software modules required to allow Level4-type access over Ethernet and help establish the IP address of the station for use with AUN.
!BootNet may be run
Normally this software is loaded automatically from the Ethernet card ROM or from system ROM, except when it is run after !Internet where the !BootNet application is required.
Where the software is resident on Ethernet card ROM, then the modules are loaded if the configuration requires it: *Configure BootNet on loads the modules from Ethernet Card ROM, but on an Acorn Access card some of the modules are loaded even if BootNet is configured off.
If you wish to access Level 4 and your Ethernet cards contain DCI2 modules, configure BootNet off and use the copy of !BootNet provided.
If you are running a full TCP/IP network, communicating with NFS servers, for example, then you should ensure that the file !BootNet.!Configure does not re-load the driver. See the comments inside that file for full information. The Release Note contains hints and tips about this.
Specifically designed to assist discless client start-up, SetStation sets the full four byte IP address in CMOS RAM. This is required if a client is connected to a fully-configured TCP/IP network, as would be the case if you were connected to the Internet via an ISDN Router. The new Bootnet module checks for a valid AUN (if BootNet is configured on) or full TCP/IP address (if configured off) if it finds valid numbers.
Note that a Power-On Delete will wipe the top three bytes of the IP address, which will have to be reset if this occurs.
If you have discless client stations on your network, you can configure them to boot from a suitable server. For Level 4 and Acorn Access network protocols, this procedure is described in the Level 4 and Access documentation. See also the Appendix OmniClient and discless workstations.
Briefly, any client machine containing an Ethernet card with AUN software is able to boot from a Level 4 server. The following commands:
*Configure boot
*Configure filesystem net
*Configure fs Server1
will make a machine attempt to log on to a fileserver named `Server1" as user `Boot' and attempt to run a file or application entitled !ArmBoot. Ensure the user boot has the option set to `Run'.
Similarly, for Acorn Access the commands would be:
*Configure boot
*Configure filesystem share
and the leftmost of the shared discs on the icon bar is used. The client machine looks for a file or application called !Shareboot and attempts to run it. To boot from a shared disc, you will of course need to have an Acorn Access card fitted to your machine.
You can use a shared disc to load a copy of OmniClient and then establish a link to an NT server. However, if you buy an Ethernet card with OmniClient on board, you may boot from an NT Server directly.
To boot from an NT Server, you must first decide whether you wish to use NetBEUI or IP as the underlying protocol - both are supported by NT. NetBEUI is lightweight and fast, but IP is more robust and is suitable for networks with gateways and routers in them.
Then configure the client station, for example
*Configure boot
*Configure filesystem Lanman
*Configure fs Server2
and ensure there is an application or file !ArmBoot available
on the server which then runs a copy of !Omni, to set up the user
environment.