Just a possability question: Shared DVD-ROM via PXE menu...

[Hunter]

I have several computers with just CD-ROM’s (or no optical disc at all). For a while, I was simply using an external DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive (my personal device from home). However, now I’m starting to run out of room (physical room). I’m not a programmer, so I don’t even know where to begin! Would it be possable to share the DVD-ROM drive on the FOG server and have an option to boot from it on the PXE menu??

For example, I put a disc into the FOG server’s optical drive and from a networked computer I could boot to it.

[Steve Ropiak]

Interesting concept. I’ve never heard of anyone doing this. My gut tells me it’s not possible but maybe someone has a solution for this. How about putting everything on a flash drive that is made bootable?

[Hunter]

I do try to make flash drives bootable via netbootin (sp?), though I have one or two computers that can’t boot from flash drives and I can’t upgrade the BIOS - I can’t find an upgradable BIOS or one isn’t available. I’ve also had a few ISO’s that didn’t work.

[maltobelli]

Perhaps it is possible via the use of iPXE and iSCSI?

[url]http://lists.ipxe.org/pipermail/ipxe-devel/2011-March/000357.html[/url]

What size are the DVD’s, would they fit into the target machines RAM/Memory?
Are they Windows DVD’s? Linux DVD’s?

If windows then [URL=‘http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-1430439.html’]remaps on the tftp server are require[/URL]d, if linux then they can probably be [URL=‘https://help.ubuntu.com/community/DisklessUbuntuHowto’]configured to boot over NFS[/URL].

[URL=‘http://lists.ipxe.org/pipermail/ipxe-devel/2011-March/000357.html’][/URL]

[Hunter]

[quote=“maltobelli, post: 9353, member: 2746”]What size are the DVD’s, would they fit into the target machines RAM/Memory?
Are they Windows DVD’s? Linux DVD’s?[/quote]

Some of both, really. Some might even just be software.

I’ll have to read over those links.