grub/netboot

You can use the netboot support to download OS images from a network.
Nearly all the device drivers are coming from the network-based boot
loader, Etherboot. Please visit its web page. They have rich
documentations so you will be able to get useful information from there.
The URL is .

These below are common options for configure. Perhaps you may not need
to specify them.

--disable-packet-retransmission
Turns off packet retransmission. Use it on an empty network, where
no packet collision can happen.

--enable-pci-direct
Define this for PCI BIOSes that do not implement BIOS32 or not
correctly.

--enable-diskless
Enable the diskless support. If specified, you will get two optional
images, called "nbgrub" and "pxegrub". The former is the ``Net Boot
Image Proposal'' format, which is used by Etherboot and Netboot, while
the latter is the ``Preboot Execution Environment" format, which is
used by a PXE ROM. You may buy a PXE ROM from some companies.

Here is the information about the device drivers. They are all disabled
by default, so you must specify configure options to enable drivers you
want to use. Some drivers have extra per-driver options, so the extra
options are also described below.

Caution: You should enable them as you need. Don't enable any
unnecessary driver, because GRUB might crash if you include too many
drivers at the same time.

3Com509, ISA/EISA
--enable-3c509

3Com529 == MCA 3c509
--enable-3c529

3Com59x and 3Com900
--enable-3c595

3Com90x
--enable-3c90x

Crystal Semiconductor CS89x0
--enable-cs89x0
--enable-cs-scan=LIST
Probe for CS89x0 base address using LIST of comma separated hex
addresses; increasing the address by one (0x300 -> 0x301) will force
a more aggressive probing algorithm. This might be neccessary after
a soft-reset of the NIC.

Davicom DM9102 and 9009
--enable-davicom

Digital DE100 and DE200
--enable-depca

Intel Etherexpress Pro/10 (ISA card)
--enable-eepro

Intel Etherexpress Pro/100
--enable-eepro100

SMC 83c170 EPIC/100
--enable-epic100

3Com507
--enable-3c507

EXOS205
--enable-exos205

Racal-Interlan NI5210
--enable-ni5210

Lance PCI PCNet/32
AMD HomePNA
--enable-lance

Novell NE2100 and NE1500
--enable-ne2100

Racal-Interlan NI6510
--enable-ni6510

National Semiconductor DP8381x (Netgear FA311 and FA312)
--enable-natsemi

Racal-Interlan NI5010
--enable-ni5010

3Com503, aka Etherlink II, also /16 model
--enable-3c503
--enable-3c503-shmem
Use 3c503 shared memory mode.
--enable-3c503-aui
Use AUI by default on 3c503 cards.

NE1000/2000 and clones (ISA)
--enable-ne
--enable-ne-scan=LIST (0x280,0x300,0x320,0x340)
Probe for NE base address using LIST of comma separated hex
addresses.

NE2000 PCI clone (RTL8029)
Winbond 86C940
Compex RL2000
KTI ET32P2
NetVin 5000SC
Holtek 80232
--enable-ns8390
--enable-compex-rl2000-fix
If you have a Compex RL2000 PCI 32-bit (11F6:1401), and the probe
hangs in "Probing...[NE*000/PCI]", try enabling this fix... it
worked for me :).

WD8003/8013, SMC8216/8416
--enable-wd
--enable-wd-default-mem=MEM (0xCC000)
Default memory location for WD/SMC cards.

Old base driver for Tulip clones
--enable-otulip

Realtek 8139
SMC 1211
D-Link DFE530TX+ and DFE538TX
--enable-rtl8139

SIS 900 and SIS 7016
--enable-sis900

Schneider and Koch G16
--enable-sk-g16

SMC9000
--enable-smc9000
--enable-smc9000-scan=LIST
List of I/O addresses to probe.

Tiara, Fujitsu Lancard
--enable-tiara

Linksys LNE100TX and other NICs using this Tulip clone chip
Netgear FA310TX and other NICs using this Tulip clone chip
Tulip clones based on the ADMtek Centaur-P
Tulip clones based on the Macronix 987x5
Tulip-Fast
Tulip+
Tulip 21142
ASIX AX88140
Intel Tulip
Compex RL100-TX
--enable-tulip

Rhine-I, e.g. D-Link DFE-530TX
Rhine-II
--enable-via-rhine

Winbond W89c840
Compex RL100-ATX
--enable-w89c840


The description about how to use the support can be found in the GRUB
manual. Run "info grub" in the shell prompt.