So I am planning on starting a project in the future, going to be making a PXE boot server on some old hardware I have laying around. By old.. I mean REALLY old... Dual Pentium Pro CPU's I want to convert this into a PXE boot server. My goals for the project: 1. Can PXE boot machines on my LAN with: Debian, Ubuntu (and variations), Windows XP Home and Pro, and Drive images. 2. Easy to use (not required but would like it to be) 3. Web accessible GUI to control it 4. Most of the frontend coding done by scratch if possible My thoughts on how to do this: 1. Would use debian.. as it is a low power machine and debian is about all that will run on it i'm pretty sure 2-4. I am thinking of using a Java Applet/program to control the server, if this is possible not really sure though, as I have never used java to control a machine or other programs. I would more than likely embed the java into a simple encrypted web page and I could select the options as to what i want to send out to where through that. I have never set up my own PXE before, so this will be an experience. Any ideas, Hints, Tips, Tricks, or Suggestions would be appreciated. I have no idea what I'm getting into.. so want some input if this is even a worthwhile project and how to do it. Thanks, Colt 45 J
PXE is quite easy once you get the component software set up. Mostly dhcp on the server, tftp is fairly simple, one might even call it trivial... There are plenty guides on the web have a look over at ltsp, you only need the first few steps though. Booting linux by pxe is easy my main box is booted this way its well worth it for the complety silent computing experience (its a bit eirly actually). I've never bothered to try it under windows, i'm guessing you'd need plenty ram since a swap over the network would be unbearably slow. For reference my Debian with fluxbox pxe boots into an epia with only a half gig of ram and 316mb of that is free with a half dozen tabs in firefox, an email client and a few xterms running. Not really sure what you want to web control, is your dhcp server going to be in your boot server or your router? Tbh both dhcp and tftp have very simple cnfig files and while it would be an interesting project from a coding point of view it would be fairly redundant for a usability stand point. Might be worth having a mod move this over to software you'll get more attention from the dev guys who have more experience with web and java etc.
Nah I want it to do PXE boot installs, so then I can just remotely install the OS, or just be able to do things easily without having to dig for disks. (Less of a OS, I guess more of network booting/install system) Sorry if this doesn't make sense... :/ That is what we used PXE for when I worked for a bit in IT...
Server side is the same, set up dhcp to pass the correct details to the pxe environment on the host pc then have tftp transfer the install image. The install image i might i add i have no clue about but the server side is straight forward.
