Updating the firmware

Updating the firmware on your Netvista:.

You will use the TFTP server to provide the new image to the Netvista. Make sure you have a functioning TFTP server correctly handing out images before trying to continue. There may be other ways to update the firmware, but I have yet to find any other way to do it. If you know of an alternate way, please email me at the address at the bottom of this page, and provide details. I will gladly include your information here.

There are two firmware images that I have seen, and I have had the best luck with the older version H4071601 dated 07/16/01 (the file name is bflash.2800.linux). In fact with the newer version HL072902 (file name bflash.2800a), I have never been able to boot from a CF card. So if you want to use the Netvista with Monowall and Thinstation, I would recommend you get the older version.

Heres is a zip file that contains both firmware versions and the correct kernel file (file name vmlinux-2.4.19-LTSP-IBMNC), and another that contains the configuration files for the DHCP, TFTP services, my hosts file, and my lts.cfg file. The services files are useful if you intend to run LTSP. If not then just discard the unneeded files and keep the older firmware file to enable you to boot from a CF card.

Once you have downloaded and unzipped the image files, place them into your /tftproot/lts directory. Then edit your /etc/dhcpd.conf file to include the Netvista specific lines, using my dhcpf.conf file as an example. Or if you dont have your server providing DHCP services, just copy my file into your /etc directory and edit as needed for your network environment. You will need to make sure you do not introduce a conflict with an existing DHCP service on your network when you enable this server. I do that by ONLY using this server for the LTSP workstations, limiting the address assignments to hardware specific entries in the dhcpd.conf file like this:

Once you have the file name path information included for your Netvista, your section for the Netvista should look like this (with the IP address set for your network)

Now restart the DHCP service. Under on Fedora, and Mandriva, the command is:

The DHCP server is now correctly set to specify the image to send to your Netvista. When it boots and sees the firmware image, it knows that it is not to boot normally, but rather load the image to its internal flash area. Connect up the Netvista to a monitor, keyboard, mouse and network cable attached to the network the LTSP server is running on. Power up the Netvista, as it boots, you will see some DHCP activity, and then the screen will clear and you will see the message that the firmware is being updated, and a warning to not interrupt the process. Believe what you read, do not stop the update process, as it will likely render the Netvista unusable. Once the firmware update is successful, the system will reboot. At this point you will have to make sure the Netvista does not try again to do the update. The easiest way to prevent this is just to unplug the network cable. Just make sure the Netvista is actually rebooting before unplugging the cable. Now you have some time to edit the /etc/dhcpd.conf file and remark the firmware update line out. Then restart the DHCP server with the command shown above. Now you can power up the Netvista without it trying to update again.

I usually reset the BIOS back to system defaults at this stage just to be sure things are normal, if you have troubles later on, or just want to be safe, Follow these directions to set the BIOS back to factory defaults, and reset the password.

Now you can continue to the next step. Follow the links below, to either go back, or on to the next segment.