[Soekris] Hot insert CF card?

[Doug Moeller]

Good question.    

I don't have a good answer,  but you could do something ugly, like plug 
the serial port into a terminal server and then have an expect script 
automatically reprogram the bios boot order and then initiate a 
reboot.    There must be a better way though.

-DOug


Erik Cummings wrote:
> Yes - there is that also, and apologies if much of this has been  
> discussed before - I'm new to the Soekris boards...
>
> 1.  PRIMARY problem is netbooting with a CF card in (even though there  
> is NO boot record/boot part, the BIOS does not continue on to PXE)  
> with the default "from factory" boot order ( 0x80 0x81 0xF0 0xFF )
>
> 2.  Flashing errorled on successful flashing/build of the CF card.  I  
> saw some mentions of drivers for the 4801 on 2.6 Linux kernels.  Work  
> the same for 4511?
> 		NOTE:  My alternative, which isn't too bad, is to build a 2.4  
> installer image based on my current 2.4 firewall image (which has the  
> driver for LED already built in).  Either way - it seems I'm going to  
> have to manually build this kernel?!?!?!
>
> 3.  Programming the BIOS from the command line.  There are a couple of  
> other parameters I'd like to modify from the commandline if possible.   
> These aren't critical - but it SURE would help.
>
> Erik
>
>
>
> On May 21, 2008, at 2:52 PM, Chris Babcock wrote:
>
>   
>> Erik Cummings wrote:
>>     
>>> I have a bunch of 4511 boards (BIOS 1.28) that I want to install and
>>> build.
>>>
>>> I have configured DHCP, PXE, SystemImager, and autoinstall scripts to
>>> do all the wonderful things I need done - it works great.
>>>
>>> HOWEVER:
>>> 	- With a CF card inserted, even if it's brand new and has no boot
>>> partition, the BIOS will not bypass CF and netboot (boot order is CF
>>> first, THEN net).
>>>
>>> 	- I am trying not to change the boot order, and trying not to have  
>>> to
>>> serial console in.  I'd love to be able to take these as they arrive,
>>> insert CF cards, plug them into my flash-builder network, they net-
>>> boot and away things go - with the NEXT boot being from CF since it
>>> has a valid boot partition.
>>>
>>> The only solution I can seem to come up with is hot-inserting the  
>>> CF -
>>> but that doesn't work - or at least i don't know how to make it work.
>>>
>>> Is it possible to get Linux (2.6 kernel) to recognize a CF that was
>>> inserted AFTER the BIOS boot process on a 4511 ?
>>>
>>>       
>> That's an interesting problem.  Most ATA (non-sata) systems can't do
>> hot-swapping, and I would suspect that the Soekris systems are the  
>> same
>> way...
>>
>> However, does anybody know if it's possible to change BIOS settings  
>> from
>> inside a running OS on the Soekris?  I've seen it done on some boards,
>> and if it can be done on a Soekris, you could adjust your setup/load
>> sequence to change firmware settings as needed from your load scripts
>> with any necessary reboots.
>>
>> -Chris
>>
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