====== PXE netboot ======

Via PXE / netboot, you can boot and install systems over network. Just switch the bios to PXE netboot.

You need dnsmasq, it includes a tftpd server, which serves the boot images.

===== dnsmasq config =====

Example config:

  dhcp-range=192.168.20.100,192.168.20.150,12h
  dhcp-boot=pxelinux.0
  enable-tftp
  tftp-root=/var/tftpd
  dhcp-option=3,192.168.20.1
  dhcp-option=6,192.168.20.1

===== tftpd =====

dnsmasq includes a tftp server, you just need to serve the pxe boot files from there. For debian, you can use:

   * an unpacked netboot.tar.gz http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/jessie/main/installer-amd64/current/images/netboot/netboot.tar.gz - it includes the pxelinux.cfg directory and debian-installer files.
   * a debian live cd: you can mount an iso and include it in the pxelinux.cfg/default bootmenu

===== pxelinux.cfg/default =====

this includes the bootmenu and is started, as soon as the client boots via pxe/tftp. put your matching config here.

  # the debian installer. this is included in netboot.tar.gz
  path debian-installer/amd64/boot-screens/
  include debian-installer/amd64/boot-screens/menu.cfg
  default debian-installer/amd64/boot-screens/vesamenu.c32
  prompt 0
  timeout 0

  # another entry for debian live - run without installing:
  LABEL Debian LiveCD
  MENU DEFAULT
  KERNEL ::/debianlive/live/vmlinuz

  # an automated installer, which downloads a preseed file:
  label Install Automat
  MENU DEFAULT
  kernel debian-installer/amd64/linux
  append vga=normal initrd=debian-installer/amd64/initrd.gz netcfg/choose_interface=eth0 domain=mynet keyboard-configuration/xkb-keymap=de locale=en_US.UTF-8 debian-installer/country=DE debian-installer/language=en debian-installer/keymap=de console-keymaps-at/keymap=de auto-install/enable=false preseed/url=http://192.168.20.22/netboot/preseed.cfg DEBCONF_DEBUG=5 -- quiet

===== preseed =====

You can automate the debian installer, so all questions get answered automagically, including formatting, network, software, everything :)

Add a download url for the preseed file to the bootmenu in pxelinux.cfg/default. This can be served via nfs or web. Some things (like keyboard language) must be set in the 'append' line of the bootmenu - see above.

If you preseed hangs and asks questions, you can switch to console 2 to see, what is going on.

Complete pressed.cfg example:

{{:linux:debian_install:preseed_demo.txt|}}


===== postinstall script =====

Some things are hard to preseed, so you run a script after the installer competes, inside the new system.

Download the script and run it, with a similar command in the preseed file:

  d-i preseed/late_command string in-target wget -P /tmp/ http://192.168.1.1/netboot/postinst.sh; in-target chmod +x /tmp/postinst.sh; in-target /tmp/postinst.sh

Complete postinstall script example:
{{:linux:debian_install:postinst_demo.txt|}}



===== Links =====

  * https://wiki.ubuntuusers.de/PXE-Boot/
  * https://blog.mister-muffin.de/2011/09/12/multiboot-live-systems-via-pxe/
  * https://www.hennignetz.de/howtos/debian_wheezy_pxe.shtml#Wheezy_Netinstall
  * https://wiki.debianforum.de/Debian-Installation_%C3%BCber_PXE,_TFTP_und_Preseed