Network card that does not support pxe

Is it possible to remote boot a client downloading the kernel and
initrd with a network card that does not support remote boot?

I mean, is there a loader (or whatever) that I can install on the HD
of the client machine or on floppy that boot, retrive IP from DHCP and
the kernel and initrd from a TFPT server?

I have almost 50 very old PC with little hard disk that I would like
to transform in thin client. I like remote boot because in this way I
can manage the OS in "one shot" !

Sorry for my terrible english ....

thank you for your answers ...

bye

Cristiano Corsani wrote:
> Is it possible to remote boot a client downloading the kernel and
> initrd with a network card that does not support remote boot?
>
> I mean, is there a loader (or whatever) that I can install on the HD
> of the client machine or on floppy that boot, retrive IP from DHCP and
> the kernel and initrd from a TFPT server?
>
> I have almost 50 very old PC with little hard disk that I would like
> to transform in thin client. I like remote boot because in this way I
> can manage the OS in "one shot" !
>
> Sorry for my terrible english ....
>
> thank you for your answers ...
>

Start by reading the Diskless-HOWTO's in the Linux Documentation Project
- there are pretty good descriptions of the network boot alternatives.

It is possible to simulate the network boot ROM by e.g. a boot floppy.

HTH

Tauno Voipio
tauno voipio @ iki fi