PXE boot after Flash boot? (was Re: Flash Drive)

[Mark Heslep]

Joe Cooper wrote:

>
>
> Another aside...I use PXE booting when I have a slew of servers to 
> install.  No messing about with physical media...but you do have to 
> setup a few things on a local server.
>
An aside to your aside on PXE:    I do the same when Im on a local net 
where I control the DCHP server and can set the 'next server' pointer to 
my PXE server. On that server I have archived dozens of linux flavors, 
Knoppix, Windows Unattended, etc. and can install all of them via PXE 
with customized kickstart files.   Problem is, on our  wide area net I 
dont  control the DHCP server.   Id like to still be able to boot a 
remove machine from flash drive with the smarts to get me to the PXE 
server.    A given RH/Fedora boot kernel + initrd will only allow you to 
install  its matching distro version.    Any thoughts on ways around 
this?*  Perhaps there's a way to  chain boot into a PXE 'like'  image 
with the IP address of the PXE server already dialed in.   It still 
needs to make the DHCP request though to get its IP, gateway router, 
maybe DNS, etc at the remote site.

Mark

* PS - Also tried hacking etherboot images and this worked, but is NIC 
dependent and difficult to maintain.