Re: PXE boot debian-installer

Alok G. Singh wrote:
What I want to do is to deploy a dhcp+tftp server in the network that
people can boot into debian-installer via PXE. The idea is to have an
easy way to install Debian/Ubuntu without having to cart DVDs
around.

The DHCP server running on the router assigns addresses in the
192.168.1.0/24 subnet. I have setup another DHCP server to respond to
PXE in the same subnet. Now, how do I make sure the two DHCP servers
play nice together ? That is, the router's DHCP server should be used
unless DHCPREQUEST is from a PXE client.

The specifics are: dhcp3-server and tftp-hpa from Debian Lenny.


Alok:

On both DHCP servers set up different ranges that do *not* over lap. This will only work if you can set the router to ignore bootp requests and the Lenny DHCP to accept only bootp request (ignore booting requests) or visa versa.

From the documentation (man dhcpd.conf) the default Debian DHCP server will by default ignore "bootp" requests. This can be changed by using the "dynamic-bootp" flag. With this flag set it will accept both "booting" and "bootp" requests. There is no flag or command that I can find to ignore "booting" requests.

So if the router can be set to accept "bootp" and ignore "booting" then this should work.


Example:
Router "bootp" only - range 192.168.1.50 192.168.1.100
Lenny DHCP "booting" only - range 192.168.1.101 192.168.1.200


Another solution to this and the one that I use is to use only the default Lenny (Debian) DHCP server and enable "dynamic-bootp".

With this solution both "booting" and "bootp" clients will share the same range/pool of IP addresses. Since the "bootp" clients will become "booting" clients after OS installation then sharing IP addresses in the same range/pool is not an issue.


Here is and example:

# DHCP booting and tftpd bootp for Debian and other OS install

#Declare the subnet
subnet 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0
{
# Declare the range/pool for DHCP and set the "dynamic-bootp"
# flag to boot bootp/netboot clients as well as booting clients
range dynamic-bootp 192.168.20.40 192.168.20.200;

# DHCP broadcast
option broadcast-address 192.168.1.255;

# Name of the DHCP server
server-name netbootp;

# IP address of the tftpboot server

next-server 192.168.1.10;

# Name of the boot file.
filename "pxelinux.0";
}


Steven.




--
To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-REQUEST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Relevant Pages

  • Network Intsallation report on small laptop.
    ... It had to run Debian, Gnome, a mysql server on a memory stick, apache and php, plus a browser. ... Bios reveals something called PXE booting: Network booting. ... # It duplicates the DNS and default route of my normal DHCP server. ... Not first time, because it hung on getting some files over, which is when I read the Debian page again and installed the better tftp server, and it hung again partway through the installation, when I think one of the Debian mirrors was down, so I used a different mirror and restarted. ...
    (comp.os.linux.misc)
  • Re: A transparent content filter
    ... will include at least one DHCP server. ... Debian has everything you need. ... none of which are "firewall". ... except for rare configuration changes. ...
    (comp.os.linux.misc)
  • Re: Need freeware Bootp server app
    ... They either support just BootP or BootP/DHCP. ... > that only support BootP will NOT get an IP stack from a DHCP server. ... Attached is a sample configuration file for the HP J6039C. ...
    (microsoft.public.win2000.general)
  • Debian cant connect to internet gateway
    ... I have a debian box that acts as a dhcp server. ... debian box is on the same network as a few computers running Xp. ... connected to the internet automatically through the internet gateway, ...
    (Debian-User)
  • Re: DNS and DHCP diskless Server
    ... > wanted to put it to work as a small DNS and DHCP Server for Tania and Catia. ... > Can I make Catia a BOOTP server with a small partition to boot David so I ... I'd look into dnsmasq. ...
    (Fedora)
Loading