Setting up Systemimager and Network Install Server in Debian Etch

assuming natting and routing is setup.

Dhcp Server

apt-get install dhcp3-server

it will fail to start as it is not configured yet.

vi /etc/default/dhcp3-server ### and configure the interface on which dhcp server should listen.

cd /etc/dhcp3/
cp dhcpd.conf dhcpd.conf.orginal
vi dhcpd.conf

make sure you configure the following options

option domain-name "";
option domain-name-servers ;

authoritative;

subnet 192.168.10.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
filename "pxelinux.0";
option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
option routers 192.168.10.1;
}

host node1 {
hardware ethernet 00:06:5B:F7:E2:D8;
fixed-address 192.168.10.10;
}

now that dhcp server is out of the way. let us look at installing a network boot installation server. :-)

apt-get install xinetd
apt-get install tftpd-hpa

mkdir /home/tftp
cd /etc/xinetd.d/
service tftp
{
disable = no
socket_type = dgram
wait = yes
user = root
server = /usr/sbin/in.tftpd
server_args = -v -s /home/tftp
# only_from = /<2>
# interface =
}

/etc/init.d/xinetd restart

netstat -uap
will help you determine if tftp is up and running.

obtaining the netboot images for debian and ubuntu.

apt-get install lftp

mkdir /home/tftp/debian
cd /tmp
lftp -c "open http://ftp.debian.org/debian/dists/etch/main/installer-i386/current/images/; mirror netboot/"
cd netboot/
mv debian-installer/ etch
mv etch /home/tftp/debian/

cd /home/tftp/
mkdir pxelinux.cfg
cp /tmp/netboot/pxelinux.cfg/default /home/tftp/pxelinux.cfg/

edit pxelinux.cfg to look like this

DISPLAY boot.txt

DEFAULT etch_i386_install


LABEL etch_i386_install
kernel debian/etch/i386/linux
append vga=normal initrd=debian/etch/i386/initrd.gz --
LABEL etch_i386_linux
kernel debian/etch/i386/linux
append vga=normal initrd=debian/etch/i386/initrd.gz --

LABEL etch_i386_expert
kernel debian/etch/i386/linux
append priority=low vga=normal initrd=debian/etch/i386/initrd.gz --

LABEL etch_i386_rescue
kernel debian/etch/i386/linux
append vga=normal initrd=debian/etch/i386/initrd.gz rescue/enable=true --

LABEL etch_i386_auto
kernel debian/etch/i386/linux
append auto=true priority=critical vga=normal initrd=debian/etch/i386/initrd.gz --

PROMPT 1
TIMEOUT 0


vi boot.txt
# the following go into boot.txt.

Available Boot Options:
=======================

ETCH
----
etch_i386_install
etch_i386_linux
etch_i386_expert
etch_i386_rescue
etch_i386_auto



apt-get install syslinux
cp /usr/lib/syslinux/pxelinux.0 /home/tftp/



# Setting up systemimager

apt-get install systemimager-server


to be completed :-P....

 

 http://blog.sushilsuresh.co.uk/2007/07/setting-up-systemimager-and-network.html