Petitboot
Petitboot is an open-source network bootloader and discovery tool for PowerPC systems. It supports netbooting over HTTP, FTP and TFTP and can chainload GRUB2, Das U-Boot and more. Useful for network booting PowerPC servers, embedded systems and appliances.
bootloader
netboot
powerpc
discovery
chainload
Petitboot: Open-source Network Bootloader
Petitboot is an open-source network bootloader and discovery tool for PowerPC systems. It supports netbooting over HTTP, FTP and TFTP and can chainload GRUB2, Das U-Boot and more. Useful for network booting PowerPC servers, embedded systems and appliances.
What is Petitboot?
Petitboot is an open-source network bootloader and discovery tool designed for PowerPC systems. It enables netbooting over common network protocols like HTTP, FTP and TFTP to load operating systems or other payloads.
Some key features of petitboot include:
- Netbooting support for PowerPC - petitboot handles retrieving kernels, initrds and device trees over the network to boot systems.
- Intuitive UI for selecting boot options - it provides an interactive ncurses UI to select different boot entries and kernels.
- Chainloading support - petitboot can chainload other bootloaders like GRUB2 and Das U-Boot.
- Discovery tool - it scans local devices, network servers and interfaces to locate boot candidates and configure boot options.
- Open source - petitboot is licensed under GPLv2, enabling vendors to easily integrate it into products.
Petitboot is commonly used for network booting PowerPC servers, embedded systems like networking gear, and PowerPC-CPU appliances. It streamlines provisioning operating systems over a network without requiring local media.
Petitboot Features
Features
- Network bootloader for PowerPC systems
- Supports netbooting over HTTP, FTP and TFTP
- Can chainload GRUB2, Das U-Boot and more
- Useful for network booting servers, embedded systems and appliances
Pricing
- Open Source
Pros
Open source
Lightweight and fast
Supports various network protocols
Can boot a variety of bootloaders and operating systems
Cons
Only works on PowerPC systems
Limited platform and architecture support
Less features than some other bootloaders
Requires TFTP server for netbooting
The Best Petitboot Alternatives
Top Os & Utilities and Bootloaders and other similar apps like Petitboot
Here are some alternatives to Petitboot:
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GRUB
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