Suggestions for the Installer (regarding network installs)

[Alan Cox]

> OK, I've been wanting to do PXE installations for a long time.  I can
> get the machines to boot off off PXE, but I'm not sure where to go from
> there.  (I've played around with it a little, and actually got the
> kernel to boot, but not far enough to start the installer.)  Anybody got
> some pointers and/or any documentation on how to do a PXE boot
> installation?

If you are using pxelinux (throw the old intel pxe crap in the bitbucket its
just pain 8))

Edit /etc/dhcpd.conf. Set it up for dhcp as normal but also add

	next-server the-pxe-tftp-box-i-have;
	filename "/pxelinux.0"

for the host range, and make sure allow booting; is included in the top
section.

Edit /etc/xinetd.d/tftp. Enable tftp and make sure the server_args is
"-s /tftpboot" - this limits where the tftp can access.

Stick pxelinux.0 from syslinux into /tftpboot

Boot the pxe box and it should boot to a boot prompt but will fail to
load a kernel.

cp the initrd and kernel image from the first CD pxe directory into
/tftpboot. Now either set up a pxelinux.cfg (see docs) or at the prompt
type the kernelname initrd=initrdname

Its a godsend for saving time