[Fog] pxe problems

[f21970]

Hi all - I'm setting up FOG and having a few problems getting PC's to PXE boot. I've got options 66 & 67 set on a Windows DHCP server to the FOG server's IP address and pxelinux.0 respectively. If I change a client to PXE boot in BIOS, I get the PC trying to DHCP, then (too quickly to see properly) a whole string of error messages. The client then just sits there with a black screen not doing very much at all.

Can anyone help me?

[Batman]

That should work so I expect the problem is not to do with the Windows server... although a word of warning, we had a problem where the machines would only PXE boot on one scope. I had assumed that changing the options at a root level would propagate to all the nested stuff but it only worked on one scope because the other scopes had been assigned individual settings. If you have multiple scopes, check the options for all scopes.

What make is the machine, and have you tried different ones? When I first tested it I used a VM to do it and that worked fine. The second machine I tried it with was an Optronix (big pile o' poop!) and that did much the same as yours did, but all the other computers we have work fine (laptops, desktops, netbooks... everything)!

Assuming it's none of those things, have you gone through the installation guide to make sure you didn't miss anything there? You didn't set the FOG server up as a DHCP server did you?

[ninjabeaver]

What network card have you got in the PC's? If it's the SIS 900 or 191 cards then I can't get them to work either.

Have you tried setting the PXE menu to text inside of FOG. I'm at home so can't remember where that setting is inside the FOG Console.

[f21970]

Funnily enough, after I've checked, they are SIS900 cards. Does that mean that I'm unable to image these PC's?

[f21970]

Think I've answered my own question (if Google failed the world would end!). Theres a document about it on FOG's Wiki and it suggests using Etherboot - clicky here

[Batman]

When I've had machines that were incompatible with ghost, I image a bunch of hard drives in one machine that works and move the drives back to the bad machines afterwards. It's a messy workaround, but it can be a lifesaver. Same thing should work with FOG but it's not ideal.

From what I've read, there's a bug in the Linux kernel that stops the SIS900/901 from working; so it's not a FOG problem it's a Linux problem. Do a google search for "SIS 900 linux" and there's plenty up there, something on the Ubuntu forums suggests turning off acpi can fix it?

Other idea, got any spare cards? Or could you get some more?

FOG is so good when it works, it's a shame it doesn't for you

[Batman]

Think I've answered my own question (if Google failed the world would end!). Theres a document about it on FOG's Wiki and it suggests using Etherboot - clicky here

Ahh well found

[f21970]

Apparently it's a problem with a dodgy PXE stack in the SIS900 cards. With 400+ SFF PC's, replacing the ethernet cards would be a tad tricky, so just gotta try this Etherboot workaround. Will let you all know if it works.

[Cools]

i have AcerPower M8 PCs and the PXE works on in text mode but not in Graphical mode.
and the net work card is
; yk50x86.inf created 20-Sep-2007
;
; Marvell Yukon Ethernet Controller

been looking to get this fixed for Yrs......



Well After a 1h i have PXE chainloading
on frog.. and now i get the graphical boot screen only problem is booting from local Disk it wants to reboot..
all the time ..




FIXED.. Mine . . might work .. for you..

Update the PXElinux.0 on fog..

cd /tmp
wget http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/util...ux-3.82.tar.gz

tar -zxvf sys*

cd sys*
cd core
cp pxelinux.0 /tftpboot/

Done ..

[f21970]

Those who have got the pxe chainloading working, or who have more knowledge of pxe than me, please help me!! I've got the clients pxe booting, but then get the message 'Boot from Network Disk or Quit'. I'm assuming that it's not going on to the second DHCP request properly and loading pxelinux.0, but I've set it up as per the FAQ and am completely stuck. As I've never seen FOG work, I don't know what it's meant to look like, so don't quite know which part of the boot process I'm stuck at!!!

[Cools]

have you tryed updating the pxelinux.0 to 3.82 ?? b4 chain loading.

[ninjabeaver]

have you tryed updating the pxelinux.0 to 3.82 ?? b4 chain loading.

How do we go about that mate? I'm still getting my head around this FOG stuff. Thanks.

[Cools]

i posted a how to look up the page..


Copy and past.. -------------------------------------------

Update the PXElinux.0 on fog..
1. get putty and ssh into fog server
2. sudo bash (then enter root password)
then


cd /tmp
wget http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/util...ux-3.82.tar.gz << right click and copy link.. Stupid forum.

tar -zxvf sys*

cd sys*
cd core
cp pxelinux.0 /tftpboot/

Done ..

[f21970]

Hi there,
Thanks for replying Cool - I've tried that, and no joy. It runs through and then says 'boot from Network, Disk or Quit. If I try to boot from Network, then it just goes through the same cycle. Baffled!

[Cools]

diasable chain loading and try with update..