KPXE Exit to USB Boot

[george1421]

This post is deleted!

[george1421]

@george1421 When you go into the target system and change the exit mode to grub this is what FOG enters into the default exit code for that host.

chain -ar ${boot-url}/service/ipxe/grub.exe --config-file="rootnoverify (hd0);chainloader +1" || goto MENU

The key is the --config-file="rootnoverify (hd0);chainloader +1" that text string is located in
/var/www/html/fog/lib/fog/bootmenu.class.php
and
/var/www/html/fog/lib/pages/ipxemenu.class.php

Now the idea is to change the config-file entry to point to the second hard drive. Once you know the code is sound then update the two config files above to change the (hd0) to what is needed to boot from usb.

[sourceminer]

These Terminals PXE to Fog to grab a pre-configured UbuntuMate install with the proper Parallels RAS client installed. Pretty much like any other usage of FOG

Just using USB to boot from.

[george1421]

@sourceminer Do you need to install on these computers in an unattended manner? The reason why I’m asking is since these are terminals and you are only using fog to image them, do you really need to boot through FOG for the terminals? When you need to image them again, just enter the boot menu and select PXE booting. I’m just questioning if you “need” to boot through iPXE to use these devices?

With that said, if you do need to boot through iPXE then I think what I laid out in the previous post should work. As you are testing the configuration settings. I would create a custom iPXE menu to test grub command line options until you get it perfected. Once perfected then patch fog’s php files.

[sourceminer]

@george1421 Would having 2GB of Ram allow you to run the OS via PXE?

[george1421]

@sourceminer As in netboot? I don’t have have an answer for that. It shouldn’t be to hard to setup an environment and test it.

I know when we deal with memory constrained devices we would create a thinstation image and just boot it via usb using a sandisk ‘fit’ usb drive. We don’t use fog for deploying that, just create an iso image in the thinstation dev environment and then use rufus to ‘burn’ it to the usb drive.

[sourceminer]

@george1421 said in KPXE Exit to USB Boot:

–config-file=“rootnoverify (hd0);chainloader +1”

Im not seeing this line in the boatmenu.class.php file Here is a screenshot of what I am seeing:

[george1421]

@sourceminer I know I keep bouncing around to different topics, but this is another option: https://forums.fogproject.org/topic/10944/using-fog-to-pxe-boot-into-your-favorite-installer-images
But to boot a live image. The ubuntu files would stay on the fog server and connected via nfs to the target computer. I think this would work. I might have time over the weekend to see if I can mock that up in my home lab. I have to see if I can find a unbuntu live image.

as to your question I’m seeing the key values at line 244 in ipxemenu.class.php

[sourceminer]

Im not seeing an ipxemenu.class.php

[sourceminer]

Could really use help with this… I had this working last night with the other topic but now its not working… needing to image 30 machines. ;-(

[george1421]

@sourceminer You know you really didn’t answer my questions (or at least the question in my mind I never asked).

1. Outside of imaging these devices, why do you need FOG?

2. Is there a reason you need to boot to the iPXE menu then on to the usb drive?

3. Is the device not capable of booting directly off from the usb stick?

If imaging the usb stick is the only reason to use fog, I would go about it a bit different. Just use rufus to capture your reference image off of a usb stick, and then use rufus to deploy the image to the next usb stick. Its is quick simple and you’d be done by now.

[sourceminer]

@george1421 I will answer again… I did answer George 2 times now.

I need Fog to deploy images to the USB Stick…
I need to boot to iPXE because we will need to reimage again later.
The Device does boot directly to the USB when you escape iPXE.

I have other windows devices as well. I really just need you to help by answering my questions.
Where is that option you point out in the ipxemenu.class.php (I dont have this file).

[george1421]

@sourceminer said in KPXE Exit to USB Boot:

Im not seeing an ipxemenu.class.php

Here are the exact path of these files on my FOG 1.4.4 server.

/var/www/html/fog/lib/fog/bootmenu.class.php
/var/www/html/fog/lib/pages/ipxemenu.class.php

This is how I found the files.

cd /var/www/html/fog 

grep -R -e "rootnoverify (hd0);chainloader" *

[sourceminer]

@george1421 said in KPXE Exit to USB Boot:

grep -R -e “rootnoverify (hd0);chainloader” *

there is no ipxemenu.class.php

[george1421]

@sourceminer What version of FOG are you using?

[sourceminer]

Running Version 1.5.0-RC-10
SVN Revision: 6080
Dec 08, 2017 1:53 am

[george1421]

@sourceminer Whelp then the developers removed the file then. Just modify the other one, the bootmenu.class.php.

[sourceminer]

OK so the file: /var/www/fog/lib/fog/bootmenu.class.php
I have changed line 134 to include hd1
Doesn’t seem to work.

[sourceminer]

Well I guess for now I will just tell people to hit ESC when they see the PXE boot so that the units will boot up for now. Would like to see an EXIT option for alternate hard disk.

[Sebastian Roth]

@sourceminer said in KPXE Exit to USB Boot:

Would like to see an EXIT option for alternate hard disk.

Quite frankly… this is not a musical request programme! FOG is an open source project and its people (!) are doing all this just for the fun of it. George hast offered his ideas and quite some time over the last hours trying to open your mind to other solutions than booting off that USB stick as a second hard drive. If you wanna stick to it that’s fine. And we still try to give you a hand with that. But it’s got no priority on our list whatsoever! Hardly anyone is using FOG this way and doing that heavily depends on BIOS firmware playing nicely. So it might work but won’t promise it does.

That said, I have done booting off a second drive years ago and it worked for me on some machines but not all. So keep that in mind.

OK so the file: /var/www/fog/lib/fog/bootmenu.class.php
I have changed line 134 to include hd1
Doesn’t seem to work.

Seems like you’re looking at the right spot. Can you please post a picture of the changed code as well as open the following URL in your browser - http://x.x.x.x/fog/service/ipxe/boot.php?mac=yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy (but substitute x.x.x.x with your FOG server IP and yy:yy:yy:yy:yy:yy with a MAC addresses of one of your clients) - and post the full text here.