PXE Boot Installation in Linux

What is PXE Boot?

PXE (Preboot Execution Environment) allows a computer to boot from a network interface, enabling the installation of operating systems without physical media.

Steps to Set Up PXE Boot in Linux

  1. Install Required Packages: Install a DHCP server, TFTP server, and optionally an HTTP/FTP server.
    2. sudo apt update
sudo apt install isc-dhcp-server tftpd-hpa
  2. Configure DHCP Server: Edit the DHCP server configuration file to enable PXE boot.
    3. 
# /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf
subnet 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
    range 192.168.1.100 192.168.1.200;
    option routers 192.168.1.1;
    filename "pxelinux.0";
    next-server 192.168.1.10;
}
  3. Set Up TFTP Server: Place the PXE bootloader and configuration files in the TFTP root directory.
    4.  
sudo cp /usr/lib/PXELINUX/pxelinux.0 /var/lib/tftpboot/
sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg
  4. Prepare Bootable Files: Add the Linux kernel and initrd files to the TFTP directory.
    5. sudo cp vmlinuz initrd.img /var/lib/tftpboot/
  5. Restart Services: Restart the DHCP and TFTP services to apply changes.
    6. 
sudo systemctl restart isc-dhcp-server tftpd-hpa

Testing PXE Boot

Configure a client machine to boot from the network and verify that it loads the PXE boot menu.