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PXE Magic: Flexible Network Booting with Menus

Issue 168

From Issue #168
April 2008

Apr 01, 2008  By Kyle Rankin
 in
Set up a PXE server and then add menus to boot kickstart images, rescue disks and diagnostic tools all from the network.
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Kyle Rankin is a systems architect; and the author of DevOps Troubleshooting, The Official Ubuntu Server Book, Knoppix Hacks, Knoppix Pocket Reference, Linux Multimedia Hacks, and Ubuntu Hacks.

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Syslinux menus

HPA's picture
Submitted by HPA (not verified) on Sun, 03/08/2009 - 18:05.

In the current version of Syslinux, there is a more natural way to do menus with the module vesamenu.c32. See the documentation file doc/menu.txt in the Syslinux distribution:

http://syslinux.zytor.com/doc/menu.txt

default settings

Marian Marinov's picture
Submitted by Marian Marinov (not verified) on Mon, 06/30/2008 - 05:34.

If you don't want to reinstall the machines every time it is a good idea after the installation is finished, the installed machine to tell the PXE server to reset the default option to local.

When you have:
default local

the machine simply boots from its local bootable devices.

I do that by having a simple cgi script in bash which changes the default in the /var/lib/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/MAC-ADDRESS to local.

I call this script from the installed machine with wget or curl. This way on the next reboot it will not start to reinstall.

Beware of the wrong miniroot.gz !

fonini's picture
Submitted by fonini on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 19:12.

Thanks for this article! I decided to try it out just for the fun of it, but along the way I realized I had needed this for a long time. My job involves training UMTS operators' personnel on the use of their GPRS equipment, and I usually go in with a bunch of Knoppix CDs so the trainees can use the IP tools available or installable there -- from Wireshark, to VLANs and IP tunnels, to mobile phone simulators. While network-booting Knoppix isn't always the most practical solution in this situation, it does help in some cases.

However, I'd like to point out a mistake in the article which could frustrate some other readers' efforts:

The miniroot.gz file located on the /boot/isolinux directory of the Knoppix CD cannot be used for this, because it doesn't support NFS mounting (at least on the Knoppix 5.1.1 and 5.3.1 versions I tested).

You have to use the miniroot.gz file off the /tftpboot directory of a Knoppix Terminal Server. To get that, just boot a Knoppix LiveCD normally (no network boot yet) and start the Terminal Server on the Knoppix Services menu. Wait a few seconds after it is started and the miniroot.gz file will appear under that directory (it is only created when you start the Terminal Server). Now you can copy it to a pendrive or over ssh to your "real" terminal server.

Also, you have to do that with the same Knoppix version you plan to PXE-boot later; files from the recently released 5.3.1 version can't boot a 5.1.1 Knoppix, and vice-versa.

I'll still take in the Knoppix CDs, though. I give them to the trainees after the course, and I have tallied lots of "conversions" this way -- people just didn't know such powerful tools were available for the taking, and this is a real eye-opener for them.

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