---
name: "make-fai-bootfloppy"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "fai-server"
version: "3.1.8"
release: "Debian 4.0 (Etch)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/make-fai-bootfloppy"
---

# make-fai-bootfloppy(8)

create a FAI boot floppy

## NAME

make-fai-bootfloppy - create a FAI boot floppy

## SYNOPSIS

**make-fai-bootfloppy** \[OPTIONS\] \[\<kernel parameters\>\]

## DESCRIPTION

Creates a boot floppy for the Fully Automatic Installation (FAI) package. This shell-script wrapper simplifies the complexities of creating a FAI boot disk for use with DHCP or BOOTP protocols.  It creates a bootfloppy using grub (default) or lilo as boot loader. The installation kernel is also put onto the floppy disk which supports DHCP, BOOTP protocol and a fixed IP address for the installation server. All parameters are used as additional kernel parameters.

The exit code returned is 0 if all commands to build the root directory exited successfully and \>0 if an error occurs.

## OPTIONS

- **-B**

  Make a big 2.88M floppy instead of the default 1.44M floppy.

- **-C CFDIR**

  Use CFDIR instead of /etc/fai for reading the config file fai.conf.

- **-d LABEL**

  Use LABEL when selection the default boot kernel (and parameters). Possible values of LABEL:\
     a for any: the linux kernel will try all compiled in protocols in turn, until one succeeds;\
     b for BOOTP;\
     d for DHCP;\
     f for using a fixed IP address on the FAI client (see option '-s');\
     r for RARP.

  Without this option, the kernel setting 'ip=dhcp is used.

- **-F**

  Append default flags to kernel parameters. Same as "FAI\_FLAGS=verbose,sshd,createvt"

- **-f FILE**

  Make a floppy image in FILE.

- **-i FILE**

  Make a iso9660 image in FILE (requires also -f FILE).

- **-I IF**

  Use IF as client interface (default: eth0).

- **-g**

  Use GRUB as boot loader (default).

- **-l**

  Use LILO as boot loader.

- **-m DIR**

  Use DIR as mountpoint for either floppy device or file.  Defaults to /floppy.

- **-s HOST**

  Prepare a host specific bootfloppy which will boot the kernel with the fixed IP of HOST (i.e., insert network configuration into kernel command line's "ip=" statement).  All necessary data are gathered by DNS A lookup.

- **-v**

  Print verbose output

## EXAMPLES

Create a generic boot floppy

make-fai-bootfloppy

Create a generic boot floppy for James ;-)

\# make-fai-bootfloppy "FAI\_FLAGS=sshd,createvt BOND=007"

Make a common floppy which uses the DHCP protocol as default, some common flags and action sysinfo

Create a bootable cdrom image, that can be burned using [cdrecord(1)](/cdrecord/1.md)

\# make-fai-bootfloppy -f /tmp/fai\_floppy.img -i /tmp/fai\_iso.img "FAI\_FLAGS=sshd,createvt"

Make a common floppy which uses the DHCP protocol as default, some common flags and action sysinfo

\# make-fai-bootfloppy -vF FAI\_ACTION=sysinfo

Make a boot floppy with fixed IP adress, enable verbose messages and additional terminals.

\# make-fai-bootfloppy -l -d f "10.0.2.5:10.0.2.1:10.0.0.1: 255.255.0.0:client5:eth0:off FAI\_FLAGS=verbose,createvt"

To make a boot floppy for my old SMC EtherCard Plus Elite 16T, I use

\# make-fai-bootfloppy "reserve=0x300,32 ether=10,0x300,eth0"

## NOTES

make-fai-bootfloppy will attempt to access /dev/fd0 unless the option -f is used.  IT IS NOT DEVFSD compatible unless your devfsd installation remaps the floppy device to the common device alias /dev/fd0.

## SEE ALSO

This program is part of FAI (Fully Automatic Installation).  See the FAI manual for more information on how to use make-fai-bootfloppy.  The FAI homepage is http://www.informatik.uni-koeln.de/fai.

## FILES

- */etc/fai/fai.conf*

  - *CFDIR/fai.conf*

  The FAI configuration file. CFDIR is set with option -c

## AUTHOR

Thomas Lange \<lange@informatik.uni-koeln.de\>