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https://github.com/rgl/pxe-vagrant

a Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) gateway
https://github.com/rgl/pxe-vagrant

gateway netboot pxe vagrant

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a Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) gateway

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README

        

This is a [Vagrant](https://www.vagrantup.com/) Environment for a [Preboot Execution Environment (PXE)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preboot_Execution_Environment) gateway.

![](network.png)

# Usage

Install the [Ubuntu 20.04 base box](https://github.com/rgl/ubuntu-vagrant).

Run `create_empty_box.sh` to create the `empty` environment (the PXE client machines use it as a base box).

Run `vagrant up gateway --no-destroy-on-error` to launch the gateway.

Run `vagrant up debian_live --no-destroy-on-error` to launch the `debian_live` (Debian Live) PXE client. This assumes you have `../debian-live-builder-vagrant/live-image-amd64.hybrid.iso` built as described at the [rgl/debian-live-builder-vagrant](https://github.com/rgl/debian-live-builder-vagrant) repository.

Run `vagrant up linuxkit --no-destroy-on-error` to launch the `linuxkit` (LinuxKit) PXE client. This assumes you have `../linuxkit-vagrant/shared/sshd-kernel` (and `sshd-initrd.img`) built as described at the [rgl/linuxkit-vagrant](https://github.com/rgl/linuxkit-vagrant) repository.

Run `vagrant up tcl --no-destroy-on-error` to launch the `tcl` (Tiny Core Linux) PXE client.

Run `vagrant up winpe --no-destroy-on-error` to launch the `winpe` (Windows PE) PXE client. This assumes you have `../windows-pe-vagrant/tmp/winpe-amd64.iso` built as described at the [rgl/windows-pe-vagrant](https://github.com/rgl/windows-pe-vagrant) repository. Note that vagrant wont be able to connect to it; the idea is just to see it PXE boot.

The `winpe` (Windows PE) PXE client can also install Windows from a SMB network share into the local disk, as described at the end of the [windows-server-2022/startup.ps1](windows-server-2022/startup.ps1) file.

# PXE boot

This is roughly how Debian Live Linux is booted on a PXE PC:

1. The PC broadcasts an DHCP request
2. The DHCP server offers the TFTP server address (`10.10.10.2`) in the
`Next server IP address` field and the bootloader (`debian-live/lpxelinux.0`)
filename in the `Boot file name` field
3. The PC TFTP downloads the `debian-live/lpxelinux.0` file
4. `lpxelinux.0` HTTP downloads `ldlinux.c32` with a request similar to:
```plain
GET /debian-live/ldlinux.c32 HTTP/1.0
Host: 10.10.10.2
User-Agent: Syslinux/6.03
Connection: close
Cookie: _Syslinux_ip=10.10.10.100%3A10.10.10.2%3A10.10.10.2%3A255.255.255.0
Cookie: _Syslinux_BOOTIF=01-08-00-27-00-00-03
Cookie: _Syslinux_SYSUUID=00000000-0000-4000-8000-000000000003
Cookie: _Syslinux_CPU=6PXL
Cookie: _Syslinux_SYSVENDOR=innotek+GmbH
Cookie: _Syslinux_SYSPRODUCT=VirtualBox
Cookie: _Syslinux_SYSVERSION=1.2
Cookie: _Syslinux_SYSSERIAL=0
Cookie: _Syslinux_SYSFAMILY=Virtual+Machine
Cookie: _Syslinux_MBVENDOR=Oracle+Corporation
Cookie: _Syslinux_MBPRODUCT=VirtualBox
Cookie: _Syslinux_MBVERSION=1.2
Cookie: _Syslinux_MBSERIAL=0
Cookie: _Syslinux_BIOSVENDOR=innotek+GmbH
Cookie: _Syslinux_BIOSVERSION=VirtualBox
Cookie: _Syslinux_SYSFF=1
```
5. `lpxelinux.0` HTTP downloads the configuration from one the first addresses that return an HTTP 200:
```plain
/debian-live/pxelinux.cfg/00000000-0000-4000-8000-000000000003
/debian-live/pxelinux.cfg/01-08-00-27-00-00-03
/debian-live/pxelinux.cfg/0A0A0A64
/debian-live/pxelinux.cfg/0A0A0A6
/debian-live/pxelinux.cfg/0A0A0A
/debian-live/pxelinux.cfg/0A0A0
/debian-live/pxelinux.cfg/0A0A
/debian-live/pxelinux.cfg/0A0
/debian-live/pxelinux.cfg/0A
/debian-live/pxelinux.cfg/0
/debian-live/pxelinux.cfg/default
```
6. `lpxelinux.0` HTTP downloads and loads `linux` and `initrd` into memory
7. `lpxelinux.0` transfers control to `linux`
8. `initrd` HTTP downloads and mounts the root filesystem (`filesystem.squashfs`)

You can see all of this if you run the following command on your linux host before launching the `debian_live` vm:

```bash
vagrant ssh-config gateway >tmp/gateway-ssh-config.conf
wireshark -k -i <(ssh -F tmp/gateway-ssh-config.conf gateway 'sudo tcpdump -s 0 -U -n -i eth1 -w - not port 22')
```