How to install Linux via the Internet, with no floppy or CD

Requires:

• working network card
• dhcp
• tftp
• pxe

Brief Operational Summary

• Server computer(s) have DHCP, TFTP, and PXE daemons configured and running.
• Client computer that has PXEboot enabled, is booted.
• Client computer boot ROM sends DHCP request.
• DHCP server responds with:
  • client IP address
  • TFTP server IP address
  • PXE bootrap loader filename on TFTP server
• Client requests and loads PXE bootstrap from TFTP server
• PXE bootstrap requests boot menu from PXE server
• Boot menu, if configured, is displayed
• Default or other selection made at client
• PXE bootstrap requests and loads kernel and ramdisk image
• Upon load completion, kernel is booted

Configure dhcp:

• apt-get install dhcp
• edit /etc/dhcpd.conf:

    allow booting;
    allow bootp;

    # global options here
    ddns-update-style none;

    subnet 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
        host debian {
            # path relative to pxe.conf's tftpdbase & service definition
            # in this example the base path is /tftpboot/X86PC/pxelinux
            filename "pxelinux.0";

            server-name "dell";
            next-server dell;      # TFTP server

            # example only - matches a specific client only
            hardware ethernet 0:6:5b:b6:8:d;

            # client IP address
            fixed-address 192.168.1.222;
            option vendor-class-identifier "PXEClient";
        }
    }

• restart dhcp:

        killall dhcpd
        dhcpd
        [correct errors]!

Configure tftp service

    apt-get install tftp
    apt-get install tftp-server

then restart xinetd:

    /etc/init.d/xinetd restart
    [or use redhat-config-services]

on other systems, edit /etc/inetd.conf, uncommenting tftp, then HUP inetd

Configure pxe

• download //www.kano.org.uk/projects/pxe/pxe-1.4.1.tar.gz
• untar and build (configure, make, make install)
• edit /etc/pxe.conf:
  • must set default address to the IP address of the selected interface (the program doesn't figure it out for you). Also, define the tftp base directory and your domain.

        default_address = 192.168.1.3
        tftpdbase=/tftpboot
        domain=floating-oak.org
    

  • load service definitions point to the directory under tftpdbase in which the PXE bootstrap will find load images.
• start pxe daemon:

      pxe
  

Set up /tftpboot for pxe

• RH system will have /tftpboot/X86PC directory already
• Create sub-directory that pxe daemon is looking for:

      mkdir /tftpboot/X86PC/pxelinux
  

• Download PXE-bootable kernel and root ramdisk image into the subdirectory.
• Copy pxelinux.0 here (should be somewhere on your system) Create pxelinux.cfg/default, or IP-address specific configurations based on the address of the target system, (e.g., "C0A801DE" for 192.168.1.222). An example default configuration:

      # Always prompt
      prompt 1
      
      # Display the bootup message
      display pxeboot.msg
      
      # Boot automatically after 30 seconds in tenths of a second
      timeout 300
      
      label local
          localboot 0
      
      label linux
          kernel vmlinuz
          append ramdisk_size=16384 load_ramdisk=1 initrd=initrd.img
  

Boot Time!

• Make sure BIOS on your PC has PXEboot selected ahead of HDD
• Boot PC - it should contact the DHCP server to grab an IP address. In this example, it gets forced to 192.168.1.222. Then, DHCP hands the PC off to PXE.
• Hit F8, select remote linux load
• At the boot: prompt, hit enter & the kernel & ramdisk should load and boot up.
• When the installation begins, make sure your network gateway is specified.
• Choose HTTP install (for Fedora Core 1):

      Mirror: mirrors.kernel.org  (or pick a fast mirror near you)
      Path:   fedora/core/1/i386/os
  

• The rest is standard installation procedure documented elsewhere.

References

• Non-intel PXE daemon -- download pxe daemon from here. Has writeup on Intel pxe daemon problems.
• Syslinux -- download pxelinux.0 bootstrap code from here.
• Network Booting overview -- for the newcomer.
• Installing DEBIAN for x86 -- has some information about PXE booting.