[Tech] PXE boot VirtualBox (solved)

[Michael Paoli]

Okay, I found two additional bits needed to PXE boot VirtualBox:
o Settings
     Systems
       Motherboard
         Boot Order
           Network (check that box if it's not checked, may also want to
             put it first in the Boot Order ... I should've seen and
             caught that earlier, but missed or may have missed it on the
             earlier pass)
o Settings
     Network
       Advanced
         Adapter Type
           PCnet-FAST III (AM79C973)
             Turns out that one's quite non-intuitive and not the default.
             The default network interface it uses fails to PXE boot, but
             making that change then allows it to PXE boot,
             found that answer (and also the other one) here:
http://www.bgevolution.com/blog/pxe-network-boot-virtualbox/
Once I'd made those two additional changes in the VirtualBox configuration,
the VirtualBox VM host then PXE boots just fine and dandy.

references/excerpts:

> From: "Michael Paoli" <Michael.Paoli at cal.berkeley.edu>
> Subject: Partimus (PXE?) (nearly?) unattended install solution(s?)
> Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2015 07:21:18 -0700
>
> As I mentioned, did fair bit of PXE boot setup earlier ... I should
> check its status ...
> # diff TEMPLATE pxe
> 11c11
> < PATHTOISO="${PATHTOISO:-$(awk '/^[    ]*#/
> {next;};{if($2=="/media/cdrom9"){print $1;exit;};}' /etc/fstab)}"
> ---
>> #PATHTOISO="${PATHTOISO:-$(awk '/^[   ]*#/
> {next;};{if($2=="/media/cdrom9"){print $1;exit;};}' /etc/fstab)}"
> 14c14
> < PXE=
> ---
>> PXE=y
> 32c32
> < #NETWORK=bridge=br0
> ---
>> NETWORK=bridge=br0,mac=52:54:00:d8:2a:83
> # >>/dev/null 2>&1 ./pxe &
> [3] 12099
> #
> ...
> No bootable device.
> ... too many devices, too few IPs ... had to reconfigure my DHCP server
> to enable PXE booting the target host ... reboot target host (VM) ...
> ... and it's PXE booted to slightly customized menu I set up, that
> allows selections for debian-i386, debian-amd64, or ubuntu-server-amd64
> (I'd earlier set up those 3, as I was most interested in the first 2,
> and the 3rd was quite easy to add as an Ubuntu flavor with default PXE
> config layout that almost entirely didn't conflict with the first two -
> so easy drop-in addition).  And to try one ... picking
> ubuntu-server-amd64 ... picking rescue mode (since I didn't give this
> virtual machine a drive to install onto) ... and it pulls everything it
> needs from network, booted fine and fully into rescue mode (could just
> have easily selected to do an install ... if I'd given that host a drive
> to install onto).  And now that I've still got the DHCP server suitably
> configured, retrying with VirtualBox (more manual config bits, as I
> don't have a template in place for that ...)
> virtualbox ... New ... Next ... (Name) pxe OS Type Operating System ...
> Linux ... Version ... Ubuntu ... Next ... Next ... (uncheck Start-up
> Disk) ... Next ... Continue ... Create ... Settings ... Network ...
> Attached to: Bridged Adapter Name: br0 Advanced Mac Address:
> 525400D82A83 (matched to that used for qemu-kvm PXE target host and in
> DHCP configuration) ...
> # vboxmanage modifyvm pxe --biosbootmenu messageandmenu
>> --bioslogodisplaytime 10000
> Start (... first Run Wizard ...) Next ... Next Start
> F12 ...
>  l) LAN
> FATAL: Count not read from the boot medium! System halted.
> Well, whatever, I don't seem to be getting that to work with
> virtualbox 4.1.18-dfsg-2+deb7u4 amd64
> ... even when I use tcpdump on the br0 interface, I see no traffic
> to/from Ethernet MAC 525400D82A83, whereas if I do it with qemu-kvm pxe
> guest host using that same Ethernet MAC, tcpdump clearly shows me that
> traffic on br0.  Anyway, works fine with qemu-kvm - not sure why the PXE
> booting doesn't work for me with VirtualBox.  Whatever.
> ... and DHCP server back as it was before, so I can continue with
> "business as usual" (so the work laptop can also get an IP).