[mythtv-users] Can a diskless frontend WOL the backend?

[Paul Bender]

Scott Colbeck wrote:

> Does anyone know if a diskless frontend could send a WOL magic packet
> to turn on the backend as part of the boot process?  The backend is
> where the frontend's kernel and root filesystem reside.
> 
> My backend is setup to automatically wake up and shut down for
> scheduled recordings.  Currently to boot the frontend, if the backend
> is not already up, I have to first walk into the other room and
> manually turn the backend on.
> 
> If I can't WOL the backend with a completely diskless solution, is it
> possible to do this with a small CF card in the frontend?  I attempted
> this with the kernel on the CF card but wasn't able to figure out how
> to send the WOL magic packet before the root filesystem attempted to
> be NFS mounted.
> 
> My frontend is a VIA Epia M10000 running Gentoo.
> 
> Thanks for your help.

Is your DHCP server and TFTP server on backend?

If not, then it is relatively easy. In fact, recent versions on MiniMyth 
<http://linpvr.org/dnload/releases/> have support for this feature.

If yes, then it is somewhat more difficult. However, there is no reason 
that it cannot be done by putting the kernel and an initrd image on a 
compact flash card. The initrd image would need to contain the script 
that sends the WOL packet. After all, the MiniMyth image is just an 
initrd image, so a gutted version of the MiniMyth image that still 
contained the part of the init script that sends the WOL packet would do 
the trick.