Install a PXE boot server on 11.1

This document shows quick and dirty how to install a working PXE boot server on openSUSE

We start of course with a working server with a static IP address and a working DHCP server somewhere (could be on your server or on your home router or something else). If you haven't got one already, please make sure that you get this working before you continue!

• install the atftp and syslinux package s

#zypper in atftp syslinux

• possibly create the /tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg dir

#mkdir /tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg

• possibly open port in FireWall
• copy the file /usr/share/syslinux/pxelinux.0 to /tftpboot

#cp /usr/share/syslinux/pxelinux.0 /tftpboot

• create the file /tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/default (#vi /tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/default) with the following content:

default linux
prompt 1
timeout 30
label linux
kernel linux
append initrd=initrd splash=silent
showopts

• or put file 'message' in /tftpboot with the following example content:

Welcome to Provisioning!
Choose one of the following options and press <return>.
 sles10.2       - SUSE Linux Enterprise Server SP2 32 bit
 sles10.2_64    - SUSE Linux Enterprise Server SP2 64 bit
 opensuse11_32  - OpenSUSE 11, 32 bit
 opensuse11_64  - OpenSUSE 11, 64 bit
 hardy          - Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron)
 thin           - Boot thin client
 next           - Boot from next BIOS device (default) 
 disk           - Boot from first BIOS disk

• put 2 files initrd and linux in the /tftpboot dir

32 bit: from the /boot/i386/loader directory on the CD/DVD

64 bit: from the /boot/x86_64/loader directory on the CD/DVD

That should do the trick!