Misc Others How do I make a PXE server to boot from?

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

I already have an OpenMediaVault (essentially, Debian, minus a desktop environment) and I just. Cannot for the life of me figure out or understand how to set up a PXE server on it so that I can have my other PCs boot from it.. (for example, recovery without the need for making a USB disk before hand, like booting into a Windows PE environment or even just Gparted Live)

Can a PXE server serve multiple different images for the client (which is booting from the server) to choose from?

Why does a PXE server require a DHCP server on the same machine? Wouldn't this interfere with the DHCP of my network's main router? (a Nest Wi-Fi router specifically)

How in the goddamn do I even set it up? (in a remote terminal, that is) I got sudo, I know my way around a terminal, I just can't find any good tutorials on setting up a PXE server..

Maybe I'm just stupid, I don't know. I've already set up SMB file sharing on the server (in fact, this is why I chose OpenMediaVault for the particular OS; its version of SMB somehow Just Fucking Works 24/7 unlike with other distros i've tried) and plan to add other features to it (such as Jellyfin) later on, but for now I'm focusing more on practicality than fun.

Additionally, rather than booting with GRUB, I installed rEFInd as the bootloader, if that's at all important. Server wouldn't boot one day after replacing a busted PSU, dropping rEFInd on it was the easiest fix for me (and if anything was an upgrade with the custom splash screen/logo feature!)

 

[linuxares]

I can reply parts of this since I've done it before.

1) Yes, it's possible to boot multiple images if your PXE server have support for it.
2) You don't have to do that at all. If the PXE server can forward to a DHCP server, it won't require it.
3) There is Windows software for PXE if you want to set it up. I haven't done that more than forward PXE booting in the DHCP server.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Preboot_Execution_Environment - here is a complete setup. Under DNSMASQ is DHCP Proxy if you want to forward to a pre-existing DHCP.

https://github.com/danderson/netboot/tree/main/pixiecore (also in the Arch guide)

4) About SMB. Not really sure what you mean?


EDIT: You could in theory use FOG Project for this.
EDIT2: Yeah I think FOG Project is the easiest way - https://wiki.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=Include_any_ISO_in_the_FOG_Bootmenu

 

[jeffyTheHomebrewer]

I can reply parts of this since I've done it before.

1) Yes, it's possible to boot multiple images if your PXE server have support for it.
2) You don't have to do that at all. If the PXE server can forward to a DHCP server, it won't require it.
3) There is Windows software for PXE if you want to set it up. I haven't done that more than forward PXE booting in the DHCP server.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Preboot_Execution_Environment - here is a complete setup. Under DNSMASQ is DHCP Proxy if you want to forward to a pre-existing DHCP.

https://github.com/danderson/netboot/tree/main/pixiecore (also in the Arch guide)

4) About SMB. Not really sure what you mean?


EDIT: You could in theory use FOG Project for this.
EDIT2: Yeah I think FOG Project is the easiest way - https://wiki.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=Include_any_ISO_in_the_FOG_Bootmenu

SMB is totally unrelated; just figured to mention it to show that I have SOME know how of using servers and linux. I'll check out FOG, thank you.

Post automatically merged: Oct 1, 2023

fog overwrote my apache2 config and it refuses to fucking change from /var/www i am etherially pissed. not your fault linuxares but Man. Man Why The Fuck Won't It Do What I Am Configuring It To Do

Post automatically merged: Oct 1, 2023

changed every FUCKING config file there is. it still won't change back from the stupid default debian page.
Fuck this, I'm just going to rmdir /var/www and see what happens. I can't care anymore.

Post automatically merged: Oct 1, 2023

nvm theres other important shit in there. i am still pissed but, fuck it, just going to expose the stupid shitting folder over smb i fucking guess

Post automatically merged: Oct 1, 2023

uninstalled and reinstalled apache2, now goes to the fog config. hm

Post automatically merged: Oct 1, 2023

i regret everything

Post automatically merged: Oct 1, 2023

NeverMind: a hard refresh made the web panel not fucked up. i may be some kind of stupid thanks to my anger

Post automatically merged: Oct 1, 2023

ok fuck this i give up; i have no clue what I'm ultimately doing here, why the fuck is even FOG so fucking complex I can't use it.
Why? Why can't it just be a folder I drop some images into and just set it and forget until I need to boot from LAN? Fuck!!

 

[Ryccardo]

Why does a PXE server require a DHCP server on the same machine? Wouldn't this interfere with the DHCP of my network's main router?

It doesn't* and yes^

* but you need the one and only DHCP server to have configurable "options", so that it can add "also you can download a file called pxelinux.0 from the TFTP server at 192.168.69.69 if you care", of course most consumer routers can't do that (conclusion: if you're a network nerd, buy Mikrotik)

^ if you have a dual ethernet server you could have one card going to your main network and the other having a separate one with your dhcp server only listening on that, but at that point it's not more convenient than cd/usb lol