dreamcat4/pxe repository overview

⁠PXE

• Network boot your local PCs.
• No disks, USBs or DVDs required!

⁠Features

This docker image contains:

• dnsmasq server

  • pre-configured in proxy mode for replying to initial PXE boot request
  • with TFTP server, to send the initial boot file (official ipxe binary)
  • tested working for both legacy BIOS, and UEFI clients

• ipxe

  • Versions for both BIOS mode and UEFI mode
  • ipxe provides better features, including:
    • understands http urls (faster than TFTP)
    • includes iscsi client driver (ATM for legacy BIOS only, not available in UEFI mode)
  • An example ipxe configuration file, including boot menu (pictured above)

• nginx webserver, to send further boot files after ipxe is loaded up

• Example pxe.default/ folder tree

  • Auto-populates your /pxe docker volume with pre-seeded example files and further instructions.
  • You will need to manually download / unpack certain files:
    • installer ISOs (namely the windows installer .ISO dvd, and ubuntu-desktop.iso)
    • assoiated boot files
  • The examples are made for the following operating systems:
    • ubuntu-16.04
    • win10
    • win7

⁠Requirements

• Some time
• To download the ISO files for the operating systems you wish to boot
• As those cannot be re-distributed / downloaded from here.
• To get these main -- SAMBA -- boot options working you also need to perform certain extra steps...

Windows

Follow instructions in the /pxe.default folder, how to unpack each PLACEHOLDER missing essential BOOT files. You can also see those needed files referenced in the boot.ipxe⁠ conf file.

• Mount required installer ISOs each on separate local samba shares.
• Can use something else e.g. dreamcat4/samba-iso⁠ helper image to do that with.

Ubuntu

To get the ubuntu boot options working you also need to:

• Read further instructions in the :ubuntu section of boot.ipxe configuration file⁠
• To set in there your samba username, password etc. for the samba share of the ubuntu livecd iso file

To get the ubuntu persistence mode working with casper-rw file, you will also need to:

• Read further instructions in the :ubuntu_casper_rw section of boot.ipxe configuration file⁠
• Use legacy mode? It was not working for me in UEFI pxe boot mode.

⁠Known Issues

Can't be 100% sure if these are going to affect other people. But the following issues were encountered during testing:

Windows

• If the Win10 installer option (via WinPE environment) is booted, then no little 'Repair' button will appear on Setup.exe first screens, cannot launch into the windows recovery menu.

• If the Win10 recovery menu is booted (ironically that is via 'clean' non-WinPE installer boot files). Then the same setup.exe launches, and the little 'repair' button appears. So the recovery menu can work. However without WinPE files, setup.exe cannot install windows.

• Solution to above ^^ problem was to split into 2 separate boot items in the menu.

• On some UEFI clients, Win7 setup.exe will take an exceeding long time to appear on the screen. Booting seems as-if hanged at 'Loading...'. Its just very slow. Other clients are fine.

• If WinPE / Windows Installer is booted with iscsi lun attached (via ipxe's sanhook command). Then the disk is not visible / cannot be seen by the Windows installer.

Ubuntu

• Patched persistence mode with casper-rw file and home-rw file. Does not properly dismount partitions during shutdown.

• Patched persistence mode with casper-rw file and home-rw file. Only seems to work for Legacy BIOS netboot. It does not appear to mount the persistence partitions if the computer is booted into UEFI mode.

⁠FAQ

*** What about Mac OS X? ***

Macs are a bit tougher to do. But it might be possible perhaps. Here is some useful resources for helping that:

BSDPy - for mac netbooting - https://github.com/bruienne/bsdpy⁠

Booting into Mac OS X from iPXE menu - https://github.com/ipxe/ipxe/pull/54⁠

⁠Credit

• pxe Version 1 - By Dreamcat4.