[Tech] example PXE boot setup on Lubuntu
Christian Einfeldt
einfeldt at gmail.com
Sun Apr 12 13:34:21 PDT 2015
Hi Michael,
Thanks for this. What status are we at? Does Michael's work mean that we
are now ready to go over to the Ascend school and configure a server? Thx.
On Sun, Apr 12, 2015 at 9:21 AM, Michael Paoli <
Michael.Paoli at cal.berkeley.edu> wrote:
> Creating Lubntu PXE boot server
>
> This doesn't cover all that may be desired of Partimus PXE boot, etc.
> server, but should illustrate what's needed to at least get a
> functioning PXE boot server built and configured on Lubuntu.
> For a "real" installation, and for as desired by Partimus, we'd apply
> the updates, set up server as transparent caching proxy server, etc. I
> mostly just show the (non-default) steps to set up operational DHCP/PXE
> Lubuntu boot server, and then also test installation to PXE client host.
> For a "real" installation, of course also the relevant actual network
> configuration details would be used, in the demonstration, I have and
> used:
> network is 192.168.155.0/24
> network's router/gateway is 192.168.155.1 (NATed access to Internet)
> network's DNS server is 192.168.155.1 (NATed to resolve Internet, etc.)
> For a "real" installation, after more suitably setting up the
> server, we'd make the client host more dependent upon that server,
> notably also using it as gateway, DNS server, etc.
> Initially the network already has a DHCP server, which we used to
> initially build our PXE server, but after that has DHCP server
> installed, we disable the DHCP server that was already on the network.
>
> In this example, I'm presently doing this on virtual machine (qemu-kvm
> presently on
> Debian GNU/Linux 7.8 (wheezy) x86_64
> ), but should work quite as well on physical, or VirtualBox, etc.
>
> I specifically adjust my virtual machine configuration, notably:
> going for relatively low-spec Partimus host:
> i586 (Pentium)
> 512 MiB RAM
> 8 GiB hard drive
> installing from CD ISO:
> Lubuntu 14.04.2 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release i386 (20150218.1)
> starting creation and install with:
> # virt-install --name=lubuntupxesi386 \
>
>> --cdrom=/var/tmp/ISOs/lubuntu-14.04.2-desktop-i386.iso \
>> --disk=/var/tmp/lubuntu/lubuntupxesi386-sda \
>> --network=network=pxenet,mac=52:54:00:7b:51:5d --ram=512 --wait=-1 \
>> --os-type=linux --os-variant=debianwheezy --arch=i586 --virt-type kvm \
>> --hvm
>>
> Setting specific Ethernet MAC address wasn't necessary, but I did that
> for my convenience so I could use same MAC address later when
> reconfiguring Network Manager to use static IPv4 address.
>
> Installation ... non-default bits:
> Mostly go just with defaults for simplicity ... non-defaults shown:
>
> English (before the timeout)
> Install Lubuntu
> Continue
> Your name: Michael Paoli
> Your computer's name: lubuntupxesi386
> Your login name: michael
> Choose a password: [not shown]
> Confirm your password: [not shown]
> Installation is complete. ... [Restart Now]
> ... it hung on shutdown
> (virtually) power cycled
> (virtually) eject optical media
> <<Control>-<Alt>-<F1>>
> logged in
> $ sudo su -
> And for my convenience to also allow login via (virtual) serial:
> # (cd /etc/init &&
>
>> cp -p tty1.conf ttyS0.conf &&
>> < tty1.conf > ttyS0.conf sed -e 's/tty1/ttyS0/g')
>>
> # start ttyS0
> # apt-get update
>
> And to keep vim and nano from generally annoying me:
> # apt-get install nvi &&
>
>> update-alternatives --set editor /usr/bin/nvi &&
>> update-alternatives --set ex /usr/bin/nex &&
>> update-alternatives --set vi /usr/bin/nvi &&
>> update-alternatives --set view /usr/bin/nview
>>
> #
>
> # apt-get install isc-dhcp-server tftpd-hpa
> reconfigure Network Manager for static IPv4 address:
> # stop network-manager
> # ex /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf
> 4a
> no-auto-default=52:54:00:7B:51:5D,
>
> .
> w
> q
> # (
>
>> umask 077 &&
>> uuid="$(uuidgen -r)" &&
>> timestamp="$(date +'%s')" &&
>> > '/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections/Wired connection 1' \
>> echo '[802-3-ethernet]
>> duplex=full
>> mac-address=52:54:00:7B:51:5D
>>
>> [connection]
>> id=Wired connection 1
>> uuid='"$uuid"'
>> type=802-3-ethernet
>> timestamp='"$timestamp"'
>>
>> [ipv6]
>> method=auto
>>
>> [ipv4]
>> method=manual
>> dns=192.168.155.1;
>> address1=192.168.155.2/24,192.168.155.1'
>> )
>>
> # start network-manager
>
> I then reconfigured the existing DHCP server on / forwarded via
> 192.168.155.1 to not handle or respond to the 192.168.155/24
> subnet/VLAN for DHCP/bootp requests, and then continued:
> # ex /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf
> %s/^option domain-name "/#&
> %s/^\(option domain-name-servers \).*$/\1 192.168.155.1;/
> $a
> next-server 192.168.155.2;
> subnet 192.168.155.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
> range 192.168.155.100 192.168.155.200;
> option routers 192.168.155.1;
> filename "pxelinux.0";
> }
> .
> w
> q
> (virtually) inserted optical media:
> lubuntu-14.04.1-alternate-i386.iso
> Lubuntu 14.04.1 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release i386 (20140722.2)
> Ideally I'd use:
> lubuntu-14.04.2-alternate-i386.iso
> Lubuntu 14.04.2 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release i386
> but that appears to not (yet) be available
> From the GUI as mere mortal user michael, did:
> Click Lubuntu icon in lower left, then:
> Accessories
> File Manager PCManFM
> That then causes the CD-ROM to mount,
> (for a "real" server, I'd copy the ISO on the host and loop mount it)
> then ...
> # mount -o bind,ro,nosuid,nodev \
>
>> '/media/michael/Lubuntu 14.04.1 LTS i386'/install/netboot \
>> /var/lib/tftpboot
>>
> # restart tftpd-hpa
> # start isc-dhcp-server
> I then boot my PXE client
> For virtual, I'm doing:
> # virt-install --name=lubuntupxeci386 --pxe \
>
>> --disk=/var/tmp/lubuntu/lubuntupxeci386-sda --network=network=pxenet \
>> --ram=512 --wait=-1 --os-type=linux --os-variant=debianwheezy \
>> --arch=i586 --virt-type kvm --hvm
>>
> Again, similarly, I do that host as a low-spec Partimus machine:
> i586 (Pentium)
> 512 MiB RAM
> 8 GiB hard drive
> From our PXE client, again, just showing non-defaults, and generally
> going with defaults for simplicity:
> Hostname: lubuntupxeci386
> Full name for the new user: Michael Paoli
> Username for your account: michael
> Choose a password for the new user: [not shown]
> Re-enter password to verify: [not shown]
> Write the changes to disks? <Yes>
> Continue
> ... and our PXE client installs successfully (did rather minimal software
> installation in this demo run, but could install more at installation time
> or after).
>
> And, ... just for informational purposes, since I did these as virtual
> machines and with their virtual hard drives on filesystem that uses
> deduplication and compression (and also did those files as sparse
> files), the actual on-drive storage used is rather minimal:
> $ (cd /var/tmp/lubuntu && ls -onsh lubuntupxe[cs]i386-sda)
> 574M -rw------- 1 0 8.0G Apr 12 08:29 lubuntupxeci386-sda
> 939M -rw------- 1 0 8.0G Apr 12 08:30 lubuntupxesi386-sda
> $
> # zfs get -o all all |
>
>> egrep '^lubuntu/lubuntu .* (compress|dedup|mountpoint|used )'
>>
> lubuntu/lubuntu used 1.48G - -
> lubuntu/lubuntu compressratio 2.94x - -
> lubuntu/lubuntu mountpoint /var/tmp/lubuntu -
> local
> lubuntu/lubuntu compression gzip-9 -
> local
> lubuntu/lubuntu dedup verify -
> local
> #
>
> From: "Michael Paoli" <Michael.Paoli at cal.berkeley.edu>
>> Subject: example PXE boot setup on Debian (Ubuntu/Lubuntu should be
>> relatively similar)
>> Date: Thu, 02 Apr 2015 03:58:33 -0700
>>
>> From: "Tai Kedzierski" <dch.tai at gmail.com>
>>> Subject: Re: [Tech] Partimus (PXE?) (nearly?) unattended install
>>> solution(s?)
>>> Date: Thu, 2 Apr 2015 11:26:53 +0100
>>>
>>> * Yeah I'm still stuck on PXE - I've had some pointers from Rab in EdLUG
>>> (basically, first, don't test using VirtualBox!) and Charlie's notes
>>> still
>>> to review. And Michael's notes when he has a moment :-)
>>>
>>
>> Shouldn't be too hard with virtual (e.g. qemu-kvm, virtualbox, etc.),
>> but key bits to be aware of there: They typically give a NATed network
>> by default and including a built-in provided DHCP server on that network.
>> Such generally conflicts with doing PXE boot - so one typically wants
>> to place the virtual host on a different network/subnet/VLAN, where
>> there isn't some conflicting DHCP/bootp server/service. The only other
>> slightly tricky bit with virtual and PXE - at least that I'm aware of
>> so far, is that non-intuitive bit on VirtualBox - where some interface
>> types don't support PXE boot (or need additional software or packages
>> for such interfaces - that seemed to be implied from some of what I
>> read about folks installing direct from Oracle rather than a linux
>> distribution's packaging thereof ... probably proprietary and/or non-
>> distribution restrictions on some extra bits for certain interface types
>> to be able to PXE boot under VirtualBox - found no such issue with
>> qemu-kvm).
>>
>> This is example I have on my
>> Debian GNU/Linux 7.8 (wheezy) x86_64
>> "server" <cough, cough> (laptop) at home.
>> Looks like I mostly/initially based it upon:
>> https://wiki.debian.org/PXEBootInstall
>> (and probably from around 2012-03-11, as I made a few corrective edits
>> to that wiki page around then).
>>
>> I was also interested in, as feasible, being
>> able to PXE boot and then be able to select and install various
>> distributions - so as I'd left it off, it could be used to PXE boot
>> and install any of:
>> Debian GNU/Linux 7.8 (wheezy) x86_64
>> Debian GNU/Linux 7.8 (wheezy) i386
>> Ubuntu-Server 14.04.1 LTS amd64
>>
>> From the wee bit of notes I made of it regarding my
>> installation/configuration:
>> $ cat /srv/tftp/NOTES
>> http://http.debian.net/debian/dists/wheezy/main/installer-
>> i386/current/images/netboot/netboot.tar.gz
>> and:
>> http://http.debian.net/debian/dists/wheezy/main/installer-
>> amd64/current/images/netboot/netboot.tar.gz
>> mostly extracted to:
>> /srv/tftp
>> except for the differing:
>> lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 35 2014-04-24 07:45:30.000000000 +0000
>> pxelinux.cfg -> debian-installer/amd64/pxelinux.cfg
>> lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 34 2014-04-24 07:46:21.000000000 +0000
>> pxelinux.cfg -> debian-installer/i386/pxelinux.cfg
>> and also:
>> lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 33 2014-04-24 07:45:30.000000000 +0000 pxelinux.0
>> -> debian-installer/amd64/pxelinux.0
>> lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 32 2014-04-24 07:46:21.000000000 +0000 pxelinux.0
>> -> debian-installer/i386/pxelinux.0
>> but in the case of pxelinux.0, the ordinary files are identical, so
>> replaced the symbolic link with a hard link
>>
>> also from:
>> Ubuntu-Server 14.04 LTS "Trusty Tahr" - Release amd64 (20140416.2)
>> contents under:
>> install/netboot
>> mostly also placed here, except:
>> renamed version.info to version.info.ubuntu
>> renamed pxelinux.cfg to pxelinux.cfg:ubuntu-server:amd64
>> and left out symbolic links: pxelinux.0
>>
>> And further examining what I'd left in place in terms of mounts and
>> configuration files and such (other than or in addition to that noted
>> above, and mostly covered on:
>> https://wiki.debian.org/PXEBootInstall
>> )
>>
>> The relevant bits of data I have in /etc/fstab:
>> /dev/tigger/tftp /srv/tftp ext3 ro,nosuid,nodev,noatime 0 2
>> /var/tmp/ISOs/ubuntu-14.04.1-server-amd64.iso
>> /var/tmp/ISOs/ubuntu-14.04.1-server-amd64 iso9660 loop,ro,nosuid,nodev 0
>> 0
>> /var/tmp/ISOs/ubuntu-14.04.1-server-amd64/install/netboot/ubuntu-installer
>> /srv/tftp/ubuntu-installer none bind,ro,nosuid,nodev 0 0
>> /var/tmp/ISOs/ubuntu-14.04.1-server-amd64/install/netboot/version.info
>> /srv/tftp/version.info.ubuntu none bind,ro,nosuid,nodev 0 0
>> Probably better to use location other than /var/tmp for things intended
>> to be there "permanently" or more longer term, but in any case ...
>> Also, those last two bind mounts shown above, next to last is directory
>> bind mounted atop directory, and the last one file mounted atop (empty)
>> file.
>> My "NOTES" from above covers much of it, but in addition (not covered by
>> that, and installed/configured under /srv/tftp/) we have:
>> $ < /srv/tftp/pxelinux.cfg/default expand
>> serial 0 9600
>> default debian-installer/i386/boot-screens/vesamenu.c32
>> timeout 0
>> label debian-i386
>> menu label debian-i386
>> config pxelinux.cfg:i386/default
>> label debian-amd64
>> menu label debian-amd64
>> config pxelinux.cfg:amd64/default
>> label ubuntu-server-amd64
>> menu label ubuntu-server-amd64
>> config pxelinux.cfg:ubuntu-server:amd64/default
>> That works as my default PXE boot menu that comes up, allowing
>> selections of:
>> debian-i386
>> debian-amd64
>> ubuntu-server-amd64
>> Each of which, when selected, then just chain loads the corresponding
>> stock menu from that flavor's PXE boot menu.
>> The
>> serial 0 9600
>> Allows that menu choice to also be made via the first (legacy) serial
>> port (if present), so serial console may be used to launch/control the
>> PXE boot and installation (can be quite handy for serial console
>> install, virtual machines, IPMI, etc., and doesn't particularly hurt to
>> include that, even if it's not being used).
>>
>> That's mostly it ... except the IP addresses and network configuration I
>> have is different than the example given on the referenced wiki page.
>>
>> And, comparing what I earlier noted to actual files under /srv/tftp ...
>> What doesn't seem to be quite covered in those earlier NOTES:
>> $ ls -ld /srv/tftp/pxelinux.cfg /srv/tftp/pxelinux.cfg:[ai]*
>> drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 1024 Apr 28 2014 /srv/tftp/pxelinux.cfg
>> lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 35 Apr 27 2014 /srv/tftp/pxelinux.cfg:amd64 ->
>> debian-installer/amd64/pxelinux.cfg
>> lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 34 Apr 27 2014 /srv/tftp/pxelinux.cfg:i386 ->
>> debian-installer/i386/pxelinux.cfg
>> $
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Tech mailing list
> Tech at lists.partimus.org
> http://lists.partimus.org/listinfo.cgi/tech-partimus.org
>
--
Christian Einfeldt
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.partimus.org/pipermail/tech-partimus.org/attachments/20150412/e7b98a38/attachment-0002.htm>
More information about the Tech
mailing list