On Fri, Jun 12, 2020 at 09:09:37PM +0200, Geert Stappers wrote: > On Fri, Jun 12, 2020 at 07:06:16PM +0200, Christian Nilsson wrote: > > On Fri, 12 Jun 2020 at 16:49, IT1 Stuart Blake Tener, USNR wrote: > > > ... what choices I have in implementing iPXE to boot ISO files > > > directly (I have read several postings that were 6 to 10 years old in this > > > area but no code was really given just oh I did this, I did that). > > > ... > > > > > > I'd like to setup a server (as a virtual machine for portability, but > > > would be fine starting as a physical server to decrease complication) with > > > a singular purpose of providing iPXE/PXE booting services on my home lab > > > network. I'd like to be able to have a directory or that into which I can > > > plop an ISO file and then have some sort of menu generated on the fly that > > > notices all ISOs in that directory and offers a menu that is presented > > > whence someone boots iPXE/PXE via the network. I'd also like to have a > > > sub-menu of permanent ISO choices with descriptions that can be selected > > > from as well. It is my understanding that iPXE/PXE can do this quite > > > easily, but then I was given a ton of reasons on the IRC why it would not > > > work so I gave up in frustration trying to sort "IRC wheat from IRC > > > chaff". > > > > > > My thought is to create a private 192.168.100.0/24 network in this > > > environment I propose, and for the server to have TFTP, DNS, and whatever > > > else is requisite installed there within. I think I'd like to use Debian > > > to > > > do it, but am open to whatever distribution people think will make this > > > most easiest. > > > > > > > > In the iPXE forum FAQ you have the "answer" to ISO - it is still a valid > > answer! (the way PCBIOS INT calls work won't be changed, and EFI has > > similar issues in this regards, so there is no reason to think that a 10 > > year old answer is invalid) > > https://forum.ipxe.org/showthread.php?tid=5948&pid=19101#pid19101 > > See the part about: I'm using memdisk or sanboot to boot an ISO and bootup > > fails > > > > It boils down to: booting ISO might work if what is on the ISO does not > > start it's own OS (that is keep using the BIOS for all access and iPXE > > stays active) > > But as soon as you have some other driver that takes control of the NIC > > (actually before that but it's an easy way to understand when things happen) > > There is no longer any way to access the disk (ISO) and it usually fails. > > (There is a few exceptions where this does work, but not many) > > So due to the fact that the "boot a ISO over PXE" will fail in most cases, > > it is better to pursue an approach that is known to work. > > > > Just to be clear, > > first start with getting the iPXE demo boot to work the way you want,
Please do read that as a strong advice. > > people will be happy to help you with that! Please do read that as an offer from a community[2]. > > Then feel free to try out booting ISOs, you might be lucky that it works, > > but please remember that those are special cases. > > (it is more likely that you will see isolinux or grub work fine, but when > > Linux kernel boots it will fail to find the live system, since "there won't > > be" any ISO that it can be found from) > > In https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/netbooting-the-live-server-installer/14510 > do I read something that I'm now sharing here. What I understand from it: > * Have a "special" .iso [0] > * Netboot > * Linux boot parameters for ramdisk and url=http://server/path/the.iso > > The interresting line > APPEND root=/dev/ram0 ramdisk_size=1500000 ip=dhcp \ > > url=http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-server/daily-live/current/focal-live-server-amd64.iso > > > > I hope it will bring "network booters" and "ISO booters" closer ... > > > Regards > Geert Stappers > > Footnote > [0] How special "special" is, is indeed the question The "special" part is in additional content in the initrd. Those extras are provided by "casper". And "casper" is a "Initramfs-tools hook". So far my research for now. Parking here[1] these links https://git.launchpad.net/casper/tree/scripts/casper http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/focal/man7/casper.7.html for later ... Regards Geert Stappers Footnote [1] Here this mailinglist which includes my mailarchive, your local mailarchive and our mailarchive at https://lists.ipxe.org/pipermail/ipxe-devel/ [2] We all benefit from a healthy community -- Silence is hard to parse _______________________________________________ ipxe-devel mailing list ipxe-devel@lists.ipxe.org https://lists.ipxe.org/mailman/listinfo/ipxe-devel
