WDS PXE read/write Debian

[Aoi]

Edit - If you'd rather set up a second WDS server so as not to fiddle with a production system, see here - Blog - WDS F11 Server Selection Feature... It's undocumented, it's unsupported - but really cool

 

Also to note, this may not be the best, fastest or lightest way of setting up a PXE toolkit. You may be happier getting SystemrescueCD or similar booting off the network. But this way has a benefit over booting ISOs or static tools, it uses an NFS file server to hold the OS and will save changes. These changes can be made on the client side just as they would be on a full disk install of Debian. You can install as much or as little as you like, save documentation, bookmarks in web browsers etc.

 

 

 

 

In progress, by request. Bear with me but to get started you will need:

 

A little bit of this https://www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php?title=WDSLINUX

A little bit of that https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/blog/isaackuo-112178/diskless-pxe-netboot-how-to-for-debian-8-jessie-37169/

 

That won't be enough for a step by step but I started writing it up already, I'll finish it off and post it.

 

 

If you want a head start, assuming you have WDS set up already, make yourself a couple of VMs named something like Debian-Client and Debian-Server. Because you'll PXE it I recommend a tiny install with as little as possible to drag over the network, so install both with this - https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current/amd64/iso-cd/debian-9.5.0-amd64-netinst.iso - This installs the minimum and latest components online so you will need internet access during installation.

 

Toward the end of the install it will ask you what packages you want to install. Untick everything except standard system utilities. You'll reboot to a CLI. Log in and su with the root password. Then run these and reboot:

 

Server

 

apt install xorg lxde-core lxterminal firefox-esr 

 

Client

 

apt install xorg lxde-core lxterminal firefox-esr nfs-common cifs-utils gsmartcontrol gparted 

 

 

xorg, lxde-core = OS GUI

lxterminal = a CLI you can copy and paste into

firefox = the browser

nfs-common = Linux filesharing (not optional)

cifs-utils = Windows filesharing

gsmartcontrol = Disk SMART diagnostic

gparted = partition manager

 

 

you won't even have a network control panel applet so for the server you'll want to run:

 

nano /etc/network/interfaces

 

 

Replace the config for the adaptor as suits your network. It is probably eth0 and set to DHCP:

 

iface eth0 inet static
address 192.168.1.x
netmask 255.255.255.0
gateway 192.168.1.x

 

CTRL+X to close the file, Y to save changes

 

nano /etc/resolv.conf

 

You may have this already set by DHCP, if not:

 

nameserver 192.168.1.x

 

 

I don't have long before the end of work today so may have to finish this next week.

Edited August 17, 2018 by Aoi

[Aoi]

This is a better guide than the second link, it is out of date so I added more steps.

 

WDSLinux.docx

 

 

 

Note - I would love it if anyone has any thoughts on the UEFI side, I've been struggling with it and apparently so has the rest of the internet.

Edited August 17, 2018 by Aoi

[Aoi]

WDS PXE Debian.docx

 

Ignore the first post, I can't see how to edit it. Just use the attachments from this and the previous post.

[Geoff]

Does the F11 server selection work for SCCM?

[Aoi]

How do you mean? From what I read elsewhere yes but this is something set up with WDS in mind so you might see SCCM listed as "unrecognised service" or something.

 

Also from reading around, this is after the initial PXE initialisation so the search for other servers is done from the client.

[Geoff]

When you enable PXE booting on an SCCM distribution point server SCCM actually does the install and setup of the WDS role on it. Thus I am wondering if I manually go in and tinker is SCCM going to get upset and break or revert my config changes?

[Aoi]

I don't have SCCM to test with, so again just what I've picked up from reading around.

 

I think one recommendation was to set this option on both WDS servers as either could respond to the client. But another option may have been to set a delay for one server to ensure the desired one responds to the client, but would fall back to the other if the first one was unavailable? So if you have your WDS only WDS server and your WDS SCCM server, if a delay can be added to your SCCM WDS then the other will respond first to the client but this gives you the option for manually choosing the SCCM server again.

 

As far as I know the only thing this change makes is to offer the client the option to search for other WDS servers, which is done client side after the PXE initialisation. I don't think it changes anything server side. But I really could say for certain either way.

Edited August 23, 2018 by Aoi

[Geoff]

Ok it sounds like I just need to test it myself.

[Aoi]

Best of luck, if I can help I'll try.