[SOLVED] IMG/IMA support or alternative

[qk4l]

Hi,

Some of my servers with IPMI support only floppy image format (img/ima).

I know that ipxe can build dsk image (which correctly works as floppy under qemu) but I've not found a way to convert any on ipxe output formats to img which I can successfully use with Supermicro IPMI.

Could anybody advice me how to deal with it?
Is it possible to build img format during ipxe build?
Is where a way to convert dsk to img via any Linux tools or python?

Thanks for helping!

[NiKiZe]

To me, and most others dsk/img/ima/raw etc just a raw floppy image that you get from running

Code:

dd if=/dev/fd0 of=floppy.img

So just renaming the file should be fine.
The only thing I can think of is that your firmware/tools checks the file-size, so for it to work you might need to do something like

Code:

truncate -s 1440k bin/ipxe.dsk

If that still does not work, then you need to give more information about which format your IPMI needs, but I think it will work with the above truncate command (yes it will make the file larger)

Please let us know how it turns out.

[qk4l]

Thank you for truncate! It helps to successfully upload image.
Unfortunately it's not enough because server freeze with black screen and blink cursor when I boot from it.
I suggest that it's not correct format because same image (truncated) correct works with qemu and iso version of ipxe works on this server.

I spend several hours for searching some particular information about what type of image should be uploaded but found only this.

Quote:Floppy Image Upload allows the user to upload a floppy image as “floppy” located at the remote host. The floppy image uploaded shall be in the binary format with a maximum size of 1.44MB. It will be loaded to the Supermicro SIM card and emulated to the host as a USB device.

From other side freedos img works without problem but their image contains FAT12 inside while ipxe dsk seems does not have filesystem at all.

IPMI specification (X9 platform): https://www.supermicro.com/products/nfo/IPMI.cfm

[qk4l]

I run ipxe via floppy drive by creating image file manually.

1. Create an image file via dd
2. Make FAT12 inside the image
3. Install syslinux there
4. Put ipxe.lkrn and syslinux.cfg inside image

It's good news but these steps required root permissions (bad for automation) and not be clear for users.

Is it an option to get image with FS right after build process of ipxe?

[qk4l]

There is util/gensdsk for this.

IPXE

[NiKiZe]

If something requires a FS on a floppy to boot from an image of said floppy, then that implementation is horribly broken, as an example linux kernel on floppy does not have any filesystem so I guess that does not work either?