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From: tcp-ip@ucbvax.ARPA
Newsgroups: fa.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: tftp for bootstrap
Message-ID: <8751@ucbvax.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 3-Jul-85 17:46:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8751
Posted: Wed Jul  3 17:46:42 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 4-Jul-85 06:00:54 EDT
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Organization: University of California at Berkeley
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From: jas@proteon.arpa

I'd agree with Noel about the need to some small EAROM or such
for the configuration data.

You might consider using the domain nameserver protocols to get
additional information beyond that in the EAROM. (I don't love
these protocols, but I guess there here for good now...) The HINFO
record has the CPU type and O/S. You might invent a new
record type for booting information. (Sometimes is it better
to tweak an existing protocl a little than develop a new one.)
Of course, this requires keeping the address of a domain nameserver
in EAROM.

My TFTP does have a default directory, but I suspect that this is
very rare. Most need fully qualified names. I suspect that servers
are case sensitive if the O/S behind them is, otherwise not.

I suspect the hard facts of life would point at some amount of data
being kept in EAROM (or EPROM). Once you surrender this point,
the rest gets rather easy.
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