[gPXE] Problem using gPXE to load PXELINUX with HTTP server

[Allan Wu]

Hello,

I got a problem of starting PXELINUX with gPXE using HTTP server. I am trying to setup a diskless system using gPXE. I intend for all the client machines to use static IP in the network, and our network already have a DHCP server which is difficult for me to modify. So I want to use gPXE to assign static IP for my client machine and obtain image from a HTTP server. 

In gPXE, I can successfully load the pxelinux.0 file and execute it. However, PXELINUX then reported an error saying "Unable to locate configuration file". I tried with several versions but got similar problems. 

In general, I want to set each client with static IP to get around the DHCP server, which seems to work for getting the images. I also tried to load the initrd image and vmlinuz kernel directly. But I got error saying the kernel cannot find ramdisk. I think I need to use the parameters such as 'initrd=' and 'root=' when booting the kernel. Is there a way to do that with gPXE along? I'm open to other alternatives, since my approach may be limited on my lack of knowledge.

My setup looks like this:

- On the HTTP server:

http://xxxx.xxx.xxx/xxx/tftpboot/   ~ this is the root directory for the pxelinux file

./pxelinux.0

./pxelinux.cfg/default

./centos6/                          ~ this directory contains the ramdisk image and kernel

The pxelinux configure file looks something like this:

default rhel6
label rhel6
	kernel centos6/vmlinuz
	append initrd=centos6/diskless_initrd.img root=nfs:xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:/diskless/x86_64/RHEL6/root/ rw

- For my client, I embedded a static.gpxe script looks something like this:

#! gpxe

ifclose net0

set net0/ip       xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

set net0/netmask  xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

set net0/gateway  xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

set net0/dns      xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

ifopen net0

set 209:string pxelinux.cfg/default

set 210:string http://xxx.xxx.xxx/xxx/tftpboot/

chain ${210:string}pxelinux.0

After this the PXELINUX is booted, but then failed on the error. I was using PXELINUX 4.02. For newer version, I also tried 5.10, but then PXELINUX stucks on the first line (version and copyright stuff). 

I can attach some screenshot of the error message if needed. Please tell me if I need to provide more information.  

Thanks in advance!

Regards,

--
Di Wu (Allan)
Center of Domain-Specific Computing,
Department of Computer Science, UC Los Angeles
Email: al...@cs.ucla.edu

[Gene Cumm]

How are you loading gPXE, from floppy/ISO/USB?

For a first test, I'd suggest a different version of PXELINUX. Having
seen numerous bugfixes on sysl...@zytor.com, I'd suggest starting
with the precompiled binaries from the binary/source archive at
kernel.org and using 4.07.

If you want to try 5.1x, you can either use gPXE to load
core/pxelinux.0 via HTTP then com32/elflink/ldlinux/ldlinux.c32 (yes,
it needs that before the configuration file) OR set DHCP option 210
(direct or encapsulated) on your DHCP server and load core/lpxelinux.0
from TFTP then all other files relative to the prefix in 210. I'd
suggest version 5.11-pre9 for your first test of a 5.1x version.

Also, if you wanted to try 6.0x, either 6.02 or 6.01, either
bios/core/pxelinux.0 or bios/core/lpxelinux.0 with
bios/com32/elflink/ldlinux/ldlinux.c32
--
-Gene
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