5. Eproms

5.1. How do you make an eprom for the NIC?

The following almost deserves a page of its own but...

If you can afford or are able to use the new type of PCI NIC with a flashable rom then you can skip this section and just do the deed.    If you are stuck with an ISA or non-flashable type then you will need to continue on.

       Words from the wise.... Before the eprom is burnt, make sure it has all been tested with a floppy rom image.
     Even if burning eproms is trivial erasing them is not.
  
 

5.2. Where to get an eprom OR what are they?

It depends on the type or size of eprom needed but with that old 386(486) board, the one you saved because you knew it would come in handy one day - in spite of the leaking battery, the chances are good that you'll find one.    Check that beneath the sticker on the BIOS chip there is a glass like window, if so then carefully pop the chip (28 pin dip) and you will have an eprom of hopefully the correct size (27c256 seems to be the most common.)

Video cards can also be a good supply for eproms (especially the older ones).    You will need to pay attention to the existence or otherwise of that "glass window". When the manufacturer settled on their code or perhaps when volumes made it worthwhile, they would change over to PROMs which means no reprogramming allowed.

Now that you know what they look like, you'll find them "everywhere" ;-)

Or you can buy one (two?) ;-)

5.3. Burning an image

An Eprom burner? well this might be slightly harder to find. Ask amongst your Electronics friends, build one or if your local then, mail me and we'll work something out.

If you want to follow up on my eprom burning offer, I live in Australia.   I'll do it for nix - you supply the eprom and postage & handling costs, test your image out first using the methods described on the Etherboot page and remember; all care but no warranty :)

There is also a design within the Diskless-HOWTO. That one runs on linux, unlike the others

I have not built the Eprom Burners linked to above, so I'm only assuming they will deliver the goods, however I have built this one linked to from here.   There is also a forum accessible from that last link.     This is a more detailed version that will burn a range of flash Roms as well. I needed that one originally so it was worth my effort. YMMV.

5.4. Erasing the eproms

If you build the eprom burner then it is not much good without an U.V. eraser. You can source a commercial unit or you can wait a fortnight or two for sunlight or fluorescent tubes to work their magic - but then that's not really an option.

If you want something in the middle then Mikes site gives the run down on converting one particular brand of torch to use as an eraser.    This style of torch is available in Australia at the discount stores, but the globes are not.     As luck would have it though there is also a torch sold here that takes tubes that are next size up and these UV tubes are available, so it is a possibility. You could be lucky in your locality!

Another option is the barbers fluorescent sterilizing cabinet.    The short length UV also goes under the name of Germicidal thus the sterilizing cabinet will work.    I should add that it works VERY well; it's what I use, I've never run it at full capacity though (~150 eproms) - for some reason!?

Once you have a burner, remember that the Etherboot project is not only about netbooting your firewall, X terminals can consume the rest of your spare time.

5.5. Safety

The UV source required to erase the eproms is at the short end of the spectrum, which is potentially dangerous to our health. That link is quite informative and not just from a safety aspect so I'd encourage you to read it, other informative links can be found with this or a similar search