Ubuntu Server PXE Boot Guide

Which would you like to see added?

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Some of them are iso images, but others are smaller kernel and initrd images. I only use iso images as a last resort. They are rather large in same cases so boot time is a long time.

The way I do it the longest boot time is WinPE and that is about 2 mins over gigabit. From start to PE loaded.
 
I had installed your original ERPXE version on a bare-metal Ubuntu box. Do I need to clean it out or uniinstall that version before trying PXE-dust? Or will it automatically update that to the new version?
p.s. I don't want any unnecessary software loaded on that box. Just this PXE server. (I know zip about Linux, in case you didn't realize....)
 
tek9 said:
I had installed your original ERPXE version on a bare-metal Ubuntu box. Do I need to clean it out or uniinstall that version before trying PXE-dust? Or will it automatically update that to the new version?
p.s. I don't want any unnecessary software loaded on that box. Just this PXE server. (I know zip about Linux, in case you didn't realize....)
Click to expand...

All you ahve to do is remove the /tftpboot folder and in /opt/ remove the er folder and the .tar.gz that is in there.

sudo rm -R /tftpboot
sudo rm -R /opt/er*
sudo rm -R /erimages
sudo deluser erpxe

once those are gone

cd /opt
sudo wget http://www.pxe-dust.com/downloads/installer/pdinstaller.tar.gz
sudo tar -xvzf pdinstaller.tar.gz
sudo rm pdinstaller.tar.gz
cd pdinstaller
bash pxedust.sh

:D then proceed just as before. Not much has changed, I just wanted to build on to what they had available and make it better. Promise it wont change again. This is the version I will be sticking with! In the next update I will add an update installer option to the main menu that will update the installer automatically and that will be all you ahve to do from here on out!
 
Last edited:
Thanks for replying.
After deleting those folders and stuff and after I install PXE-dust; do I go thru installing all the previously installed cloning tools, (Acronis, FOG etc) or will they be there already?
 
tek9 said:
Thanks for replying.
After deleting those folders and stuff and after I install PXE-dust; do I go thru installing all the previously installed cloning tools, (Acronis, FOG etc) or will they be there already?
Click to expand...

No, everything will not be their again. You will just have to reinstall everything again.
 
Last edited:
I installed PXE-dust on my Ubuntu Server box, and so far this is what I have:
Acronis-OK.
FOG-OK.
Gparted doesn't work. Whichever one of the three options I click on, nothing happens. Tried two different clients, same thing.
PartedMagic-OK.
I can't get PING to work. Probably because I don't know how to use it. I can't get past the screens asking for the IP address of the SMB Server, username and pw etc.
I don't have Symantec's GHOST, so I can't check.
Dell Dx-OK.
FreeDOS-OK.
Hitachi DFT-OK.
Memtest-OK.
PC Dr., TechUSB and TuffTest-can't test since I don't have these.
By the way: the URL for the pxe dust installer in the guide needs to be changed. It's showing the path to the installer as being in the "core" subdirectory, and it's actually in the "installer" subdirectory.
 
tek9 said:
I installed PXE-dust on my Ubuntu Server box, and so far this is what I have:
Acronis-OK.
FOG-OK.
Gparted doesn't work. Whichever one of the three options I click on, nothing happens. Tried two different clients, same thing.
PartedMagic-OK.
I can't get PING to work. Probably because I don't know how to use it. I can't get past the screens asking for the IP address of the SMB Server, username and pw etc.
I don't have Symantec's GHOST, so I can't check.
Dell Dx-OK.
FreeDOS-OK.
Hitachi DFT-OK.
Memtest-OK.
PC Dr., TechUSB and TuffTest-can't test since I don't have these.
By the way: the URL for the pxe dust installer in the guide needs to be changed. It's showing the path to the installer as being in the "core" subdirectory, and it's actually in the "installer" subdirectory.
Click to expand...

Oh poo!!

Seems like I missed a few things. I will have them all fixed and uploaded by tomorrow.

Thank you for letting me know!!!!!
 
Chrisb41 said:
I keep getting the following error on step 1 c under installing PXEdust installer script:
gzip: stdin: not in gzip format
Click to expand...

I fixed that today and a couple of others, but my server took a dump and I had to get a new RAID card and rebuild my raid. I didn't have a chance to upload anything today yet. It is almost done repairing, and if it finishes I might get a chance to tinker with it and upload it.

I also had to nuke and pave my Tech Laptop, and scrap one of my bench machine I had been having troubles with.....cleaned house today literally!!!
 
smashedbotatos said:
I fixed that today and a couple of others, but my server took a dump and I had to get a new RAID card and rebuild my raid. I didn't have a chance to upload anything today yet. It is almost done repairing, and if it finishes I might get a chance to tinker with it and upload it.

I also had to nuke and pave my Tech Laptop, and scrap one of my bench machine I had been having troubles with.....cleaned house today literally!!!
Click to expand...

Ha all good shall try it again shortly

Thanks
 
I'm in the process (when I am able to find some free time) of setting this up on my network. I did have one question though... how often do you guys come across a client computer that doesn't have the option to boot via PXE? I've never really paid attention to it before since I didn't have one setup.
 
DocGreen said:
I'm in the process (when I am able to find some free time) of setting this up on my network. I did have one question though... how often do you guys come across a client computer that doesn't have the option to boot via PXE? I've never really paid attention to it before since I didn't have one setup.
Click to expand...

I honestly have not come across one that didn't allow PXE booting. I think most every NIC from the past ten years has the feature.
 
DocGreen said:
I'm in the process (when I am able to find some free time) of setting this up on my network. I did have one question though... how often do you guys come across a client computer that doesn't have the option to boot via PXE? I've never really paid attention to it before since I didn't have one setup.
Click to expand...

I have had this happen before with some older machines, including one of my own, on which the on-board nic had died and was replaced with a PCI nic that doesn't support PXE.

For such cases, I keep a CD with gPXE handy and boot from it. You can generate an iso to burn to disc here. http://rom-o-matic.net/. This will ad PXE functionality to just about any machine that can boot from CD.
 
SilverLeaf said:
I have had this happen before with some older machines, including one of my own, on which the on-board nic had died and was replaced with a PCI nic that doesn't support PXE.

For such cases, I keep a CD with gPXE handy and boot from it. You can generate an iso to burn to disc here. http://rom-o-matic.net/. This will ad PXE functionality to just about any machine that can boot from CD.
Click to expand...


Man, you guys have an answer for everything! +1 :)
 
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