Adding Additional Drivers to a Bootable CD

Novell Cool Solutions: Tip
By Jeffrey D. Sessler

Digg This - Slashdot This Posted: 22 Aug 2002

(NEW: Jeffrey has shared the files he used in this solution. See Updates.)

An article was recently published about Adding an Imaging Driver, but I have found that method is very cumbersome. Here is an easier and alternate method using the Intel 1000 as an example:

1. Download and install WinISO from http://www.winiso.com/
2. Using WinISO open a copy of the bootcd.iso from your sys:public\zenworks\imaging directory.



3. Using the ZEN imaging boot disk creator, click on the "add linux drivers", add in the pro 1000.



4. Put in a blank floppy and click on the "copy drivers".
   This will place a directory structure on the disk that we will then copy into the bootcd.iso.



5. Edit the driver.conf in the "drivers" directory on the floppy you just created and add the following line:
   insmod -f $MODPATH/net/e1000.o > /dev/null 2>&1



6. Close and save the driver.conf.



7. Next, select the contents of the disk and drag it over the WinISO window which should list the contents of the bootcd.ISO image.



8. Next, drag a "settings.txt" file into the WinISO window. The settings.txt file can be either the default from sys:public\zenworks\imaging or your own customized version.



9. Next, click "SAVE" and WinISO will write the changes out to the bootcd.ISO file.
   NOTE: don't use "Save as.." because it will prevent the CD from booting.



10. Once saved, close WinISO and use your favorite CD burning software (I use Nero) to burn the ISO image back to a CD.

Once completed, you will have a bootable CD which will work with the Intel 1000 cards. In our case it was created to support the Dell GX260 computer with built-in Intel 1000.

Updates

I've had many requests for the e1000.o driver I used as an example in the Tip. You can download the following from me -- you should have the "k" patch installed as this is the only patch I've tested these with:

Pre-built ISO image that has the pro 1000 driver. You can use Nero or other CD software to burn it:
http://www.scrippscollege.edu/~dept/it/zen/bootcdintel1000.zip

Modified "linux.2" file from the sys:\tftp for PXE booting. Unzip any copy over older version. http://www.scrippscollege.edu/~dept/it/zen/linux2.zip

Boot disks. Here is my disk 4 with the Intel driver on it. Unzip it to a floppy. Use the ZEN imaging boot disk creator to create the first three disks making sure to check the "load additional Linux drivers... prompt for disk". Once you boot from the three disks it will ask for the additional drivers. Insert this disk.
http://www.scrippscollege.edu/~dept/it/zen/zenboot4.zip

If you have any questions you may contact Jeff at Jeff@ScrippsCollege.edu

Reader Comments

• Thanx!
• much easier than having to build a linux box just to compile drivers. Fantastic article
• Why can't Novell support the imaging kernel as well as their customers do? The closest to useful information I've found since, as the local Linux guru, I got roped into helping make imaging work on the 300 new Dell GX260s District is installing this summer, were some old, unclear articles about working with the 2.2.something kernel. That probably would have sufficed for this specific issue, since Intel expends some effort to keep their driver compatible with 2.2, but it's not a generally useful solution.
• Very Helpful....Any Idea on how to get that to work with an Intel 865GLC?
• I've gotten halfway there with this method before, but ran into problems (apparently because I chose to "Save As..." when I modified the .iso in WinISO). Thanks for the tip!
• Very very helpful article and files.
• This saved the day! I just got 60 Gateway e-4000's and the CD I burned boots them to Zenworks 3.2 without a single change!
• Big Time Help, I spent hours today trying to get my GX260's working. Jeffery, YOU DA MAN.
• This article is WONDERFUL! THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU!
• We just got in 40 of the Dell GX260's, I spent days trying to get PXE to work, thanks for the drivers !!!
• Good Information.. A little harder to get a compiled driver for the Broadcom 57xx on the BootCD Had to compile it on the 2.4.18 Zen kernel using info from BroadCom http://www.prismworks.net/bootcdbcm5700.iso
• that Broadcom driver is a life saver! Thanks for your hard work all!

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