[How to] PXE boot Server

[How to] PXE boot Server (compressed guide) updated 29.3.2010

expectations:

• PXE boot friendly net card / virtualbox with bridged adapter in network config (for testing)
• asus in router operation mode with active DHCP
• tested on wl500gp-1.9.2.7-d-r1222.trx after finished wengi guide

install xinetd (if you don't have)

Code:

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ipkg update
ipkg upgrade
ipkg install xinetd

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install tftp-hpa Trivial File Transfer Protocol Server

Code:

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ipkg install tftp-hpa

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add extra dnsmasq.conf, it will append to /etc/dnsmasq.conf during boot (thanks Sid)

Code:

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nano /usr/local/etc/dnsmasq.conf

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contents of dnsmasq.conf:

Code:

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dhcp-boot=pxelinux.0,asus,192.168.1.1

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asus=replece to your Host Name, 192.168.1.1=tftp server ip adress (may run outside asus for fastest transfer)
save:

Code:

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flashfs save && flashfs commit && flashfs enable && reboot

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example of config files (check Attached Files i'm providing all needed files for Windows 7 PE Boot and memtest x86)

Code:

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mkdir /opt/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg
nano /opt/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/default
nano /opt/tftpboot/boot.txt

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contents of default:

Code:

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display boot.txt
prompt 1
timeout 0
default winpe

label dsl
  kernel dsl/linux24
  append ramdisk_size=100000 init=/etc/init lang=us apm=power-off vga=791 initrd=dsl/minirt24.gz nomce noapic quiet boot_image=dsl/knoppix

label dos
  kernel memdisk
  append initrd=dos/Dos6.22.img

label memtest
  kernel memdisk
  append initrd=memtest/memtest.img

label winpe
  kernel Boot/startrom.0

label gparted
  kernel gparted/vmlinuz
  append initrd=gparted/initrd.img boot=live union=aufs noswap quickreboot noprompt vga=788 fetch=http://192.168.1.1:81/filesystem.squashfs

label pmagic
  kernel pmagic/bzImage
  append initrd=pmagic/initramfs load_ramdisk=1 prompt_ramdisk=0 rw sleep=10 livemedia

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contents of boot.txt:

Code:

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Boot menu: gparted | dos | dsl | winpe | memtest | pmagic

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get the pxelinux.0 and memdisk kernel from syslinux (or everything is in Attach Files)
put both files to /opt/tftpboot/
get the dos bootdisk image

Code:

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mkdir /opt/tftpboot/dos
cd /opt/tftpboot/dos
wget http://www.allbootdisks.com/downloads/Disks/MS-DOS_Boot_Disk_Download47/Diskette%20Images/Dos6.22.img

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you may need chmod, thanks wpte for checking my tutorial

Code:

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chmod +x  /opt/tftpboot/*.*
chmod +x  /opt/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/*.*

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It's all, try to boot dos from network...

Thanks for this guide !
There's simple way to store changes in dnsmasq.conf.
According to one of Oleg's posts /etc/dnsmasq.conf generates at every boot. To make any permanent changes you must create /usr/local/etc/dnsmasq.conf file, edit it as you wish and flashfs it. After that system will generate /etc/dnsmasq.conf as usual at every boot, but any lines stored in /usr/local/etc/dnsmasq.conf will be automatically appended to /etc/dnsmasq.conf

Sid, thanks i update the guide.

wow... it actually boots dos without an emulator?
or is it a special compiled version?

never did any pxe booting, but it sure does looks interesting:D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wpte

wow... it actually boots dos without an emulator?
or is it a special compiled version?

never did any pxe booting, but it sure does looks interesting:D

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just read something about PXE, BOOTP, DHCP BOOT
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preboot...on_Environment
it' s not boot dos inside router, it's service for loading Operationg System or Routine to standart x86 PC(maybe other platform) over network card without needing hard drive, for an example.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gouryella

just read something about PXE, BOOTP, DHCP BOOT
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preboot...on_Environment
it' s not boot dos inside router, it's service for loading Operationg System or Routine to standart x86 PC(maybe other platform) over network card without needing hard drive, for an example.

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hmm...
just a bit like connecting a pc to the router via ssh
only then the opposite way and with some boot I guess:p

I might try it out, thanks for the how-to:D

Hi gouryella,

I'm glad my post helped some (http://sysadminman.net/blog/archives/8)

I hadn't spotted that wordpress had screwed my quotes up with speech marks - I'll correct that now.

Thanks, Matt

hey I tried all those steps, and found my way into the network boot mode...
but for some reason I get error messages that it doesnt find pxelinux.cfg

rlea weird, I just can't seem to load anything:(

wpte, pxe successfully load pxelinux.0, but not find pxelinux.cfg
pxelinux.cfg is a directory, inside is a file named default

dir dsl - damm small linux
dir Boot - windows pe 2.0 (bootmgr.exe is for windows booting)

yes, I have the folder with the file default...

in the tftp folder I have these other files:

boot.txt
Dos.6.22.img
memdisk
pxelinux.0

What is that bootmanager.exe maybe I need that one too?:confused:

well... I came a bit further...
I had to chmod all the files to complete access before it would work...
maybe handy to put in ur how-to:p

yay, finally booted into dos with my... banana?:confused::p

EDIT:
I cant boot DSL properly tho, it keeps saying it can't find knoppix filesystem...
I tried chmod, changing lower or upper case, putting it in a folder etc...

Any ideas?

they are many version of dsl, i use it dsl-4.4.10-initrd.iso, but i dont' like dsl to much...
but the funny way is booting something like ubuntu or windows xp, moving tftp server on fastest ethernet dhcp-boot=pxelinux.0,asus,192.168.1.5

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gouryella

they are many version of dsl, i use it dsl-4.4.10-initrd.iso, but i dont' like dsl to much...
but the funny way is booting something like ubuntu or windows xp, moving tftp server on fastest ethernet dhcp-boot=pxelinux.0,asus,192.168.1.5

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I'll try that out then;)

I'm also trying to get puppy linux to boot from network, I have to build my own version, because the standart one doesnt work with pxe:p
Maybe I can upload it somewhere and share the version here when it's ready:)

Thanks for the Guide gouryella - Great work!

Got it all up an running.......But have one BIG problem!?!?

I wanna use a Image that is 700 MB in size, and i get the follwoing error:

Not enough memory to load specified image.

Is there someway to fix this? Or a workaround?!?!

Tried setting Ram-size to 10000 but without results.

Reason for the 700 MB ISO is, that this is a Slipstreamed version of XP SP2

I don't wanna use a DOs or Linux image, because i only want to use PXE for Backup purposes of my XP setups.

/Morten

I dont' know how to boot XP, it's too dificult because XP isn't ready for PXE;
but the size: you can use nLite + bartPE for making XP CD up to 100MB;
Win PE 2.0 (Vista PE) is better way how to backup, u can use drivesnapshot too, it is booting directly image to ram very fast in 60seconds (125MB WIM).