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So far I have a PXE server based on Ubuntu Server 14.04 setup and running, configured to serve a Linux Mint 17 live CD and Ubuntu Server 14.04. The aim is to use NFS to serve install media around the network. The problem is the files are not being served by NFS.

To setup the basic PXE server on a clean Ubuntu Server 14.04 install I followed the instructions here: http://www.unixmen.com/install-configure-pxe-server-ubuntu-14-04-lts/

DHCP is running on my central IPCOP as per the instructions here: http://www.ipcops.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=17515

NFS has been setup to serve the /exports directory which contains the contents of the Linux Mint and Ubuntu Server install ISO images. The kernels and initial RAM disks for the two OS (Mint and Ubuntu) are copied into directories below /var/lib/tftpboot on the PXE server.

When the client boots over PXE it boots correctly and starts Ubuntu Server, but starts to download the required install files from the internet, not using the files on the NFS server.

The pxelinux.cfg/default file looks like this:

# D-I config version 2.0
include ubuntu-server-14.04-installer/amd64/boot-screens/menu.cfg
default ubuntu-server-14.04-installer/amd64/boot-screens/vesamenu.c32
prompt 0
timeout 0

label ubuntu-server-14.04
    kernel ubuntu-server-14.04-installer/amd64/linux
    append vga=normal root=/dev/nfs boot=casper netboot=nfs nfsroot=192.168.88.14:/exports/ubuntu-server-14.04 initrd=ubuntu-server-14.04-installer/amd64/initrd.gz quiet nosplash --


label linux-mint-17
    kernel linux-mint-cinnamon-17/vmlinuz
    append vga=791 config root=/dev/nfs boot=casper netboot=nfs nfsroot=192.168.88.14:/exports/linux-mint-cinnamon-17 initrd=linux-mint-cinnamon-17/initrd.lz nosplash --

Any ideas what I'm missing?

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  • 1
    You probably need a preseed file to prepare the installer to use a local mirror. These entries may help: ` d-i mirror/http/hostname string 10.0.1.1 d-i mirror/http/directory string /debrepos/debian d-i apt-setup/use_mirror boolean false `
    – umeboshi
    Dec 26, 2014 at 7:42

1 Answer 1

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I don't know if ISOs can be used directly for an NFS root. Here's how my setup is:

  1. Ubuntu ISO mounted at /tftpboot/live/trusty
  2. /tftpboot/live/trusty exported for NFS.

  3. A pxelinux.cfg entry that looks like:

    LABEL live
menu label Install ^Ubuntu Live
KERNEL live/trusty/casper/vmlinuz.efi
APPEND initrd=live/trusty/casper/initrd.lz root=/dev/nfs boot=casper netboot=nfs nfsroot=10.105.1.13:/tftpboot/live/trusty -- quiet splash

    The NFS root here is the mountpoint specified earlier.

(Pretty much the same entry for Mint, with paths changed).

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