[Tech] What status are we at?: Re: example PXE boot setup on Lubuntu
Michael Paoli
Michael.Paoli at cal.berkeley.edu
Sun Apr 12 20:30:38 PDT 2015
I don't think I'd be inclined to jump quite so far ahead.
I think I'd be more inclined to presume, at least approximately, that if
Tai and other new invitee to this list (Peter Ganthavorn) hadn't already
worked out how to get a PXE boot server working on Lubuntu before I made
that posting to this list, that they likely will reasonably shortly
after reading it, and perhaps after some bit of testing/implementing it;
and for the latter of those two folks, presuming he was subscribed to
this list by the time that posting was sent out to the list (or might
pick it up from referenced inclusion on this posting, since DreamHost
list archiving continues to be relatively broken).
There's lots more to do than *just* create (and/or "fix"/update) PXE
boot server. E.g., at least approximately, and for Partimus' particular
use scenario and for this school installation:
o aformentioned server also needs to serve as caching transparent proxy
server
o need to better work out the, as near as feasible, automated
configuration and installation to target host(s), notably specific
desired software and configurations, etc.
o custom bootable optical media - need to work out / validate that the
custom bootable optical media - that we have quite reproducible
process to create such media, and that it can be used to boot and at
least start the install process, quite like PXE boot, but without need
for client host computers to themselves do direct PXE boot from
BIOS/CMOS
o and probably some other bits that are desired, or even important, that
aren't immediately jumping to mind.
Anyway, that's why I generally recommend well documenting the process,
steps, setup, etc. - so it will be quite reproducible, and most anyone
with reasonably sufficient skill set can jump in, understand what the
setup is, why it's set up as it is, how it's desired to be set up and
why, and can maintain, support, and improve it ... without having to
start again from close to ground zero on figuring out why things are
being done certain ways, and not others, and have to redo much of that
whole discovery process yet again.
Also, and especially, if multiple folks are working on it - and/or
backing each other up for support, having the stuff well documented
makes it much more feasible to coordinate and work towards a common
goal, and help ensure we're all, at least approximately, "on the same
page".
> From: "Christian Einfeldt" <einfeldt at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Tech] example PXE boot setup on Lubuntu
> Date: Sun, 12 Apr 2015 13:34:21 -0700
> 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
>>>
>>> /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
>>> $
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