Booting Ubuntu Live CD

[george1421]

This menu item is from my working production server

:os.Ubuntu.Desktop.17.10
kernel nfs://${fog-ip}:/images/os/ubuntu/Desk17.10/casper/vmlinuz.efi
initrd nfs://${fog-ip}:/images/os/ubuntu/Desk17.10/casper/initrd.lz
imgargs vmlinuz.efi root=/dev/nfs boot=casper netboot=nfs nfsroot=${fog-ip}:/images/os/ubuntu/Desk17.10/ locale=en_US.UTF-8 keyboard-configuration/layoutcode=us quiet splash ip=dhcp rw
boot || goto MENU

Here is from your ipxe menu

:fog.ubuntu-mate
kernel tftp://t-pxe/os/ubuntu/16.04/mate/vmlinuz.efi
initrd tftp://t-pxe/os/ubuntu/16.04/mate/initrd.lz
imgargs vmlinuz.efi root=/dev/nfs boot=casper netboot=nfs nfsroot=t-pxe:/var/www/fog/dist/ubuntu/16.04/mate/ locale=en_US.UTF-8 keyboard-configuration/layoutcode=us quiet splash ip=dhcp rw
param sysuuid ${uuid}

I did notice that your menu is missing the boot instruction

boot || goto MENU

I did also notice an out of place sysuuid parameter, but I think FOG is doing that. That extra parameter is not hurting your boot process, I think the missing boot command is.

[nsherin]

@george1421

Thanks for your help. I’m running version 1.5.2

My /etc/exports file:

/images *(ro,sync,no_wdelay,no_subtree_check,insecure_locks,no_root_squash,insecure,fsid=0)
/images/dev *(rw,async,no_wdelay,no_subtree_check,no_root_squash,insecure,fsid=1

[george1421]

@nsherin Those settings are correct. What I’m pointing out is wrong is this parameter: netboot=nfs nfsroot=t-pxe:/var/www/fog/dist/ubuntu/16.04/mate/

The FOG server is only sharing out /images/… yet you are telling the client to get its files from /var/www/fog/dist… That isn’t going to work. Plus the /var/www/… path is the base directory for the web server.

My instructions that I posted show you expanding the ubuntu iso image to /images/os/ubuntu/… which IS in the nfs export path.

With iPXE you can use any of several protocols to get to your files.
if you use
tftp:// the base path is /tftpboot
http:// the base path is /var/www/html
nfs:// the base path is /images

The issue is the kernel it self has to reach out to this path you defined
nfsroot=t-pxe:/var/www/fog/dist/ubuntu/16.04/mate/
Yet it can’t get there because /var/www is not exported from the FOG server only /images and /images/dev is.

Look at my menu item I posted below, you can see the nfs:// is used for ipxe to deliver the files as well as the nfsroot path for ubuntu’s kernel.

[nsherin]

@george1421 said in Booting Ubuntu Live CD:

I’ve got a bit further - I’ve added

boot || goto MENU

I now get a message ‘Unable to find a live file system on the network’:

Also, do you know the parameters I’d need in locale= and keyboard-configuration/layoutcode for a UK keyboard?

Many thanks.

[george1421]

@nsherin The problem you now see is exactly what I described below. Fix your nfsroot path and file locations.

[george1421]

@nsherin said in Booting Ubuntu Live CD:

Also, do you know the parameters I’d need in locale= and keyboard-configuration/layoutcode for a UK keyboard?

I would say the local for your side of the pond would be en_GB.UTF-8

[nsherin]

@george1421

Thanks for that - I’ve moved the files from the DVD into /images/os/ubuntu/16.04/mate and modified the parameters to read:

kernel nfs://t-pxe/images/os/ubuntu/16.04/mate/casper/vmlinuz.efi
initrd nfs://t-pxe/images/os/ubuntu/16.04/mate/casper/initrd.lz
imgargs vmlinuz.efi root=/dev/nfs boot=casper netboot=nfs nfsroot=t-pxe:/images/os/ubuntu/16.04/mate/ locale=en_US.UTF-8 keyboard-configuration/layoutcode=us quiet splash ip=dhcp rw
boot || goto MENU

It’s still complaining about the lack of a file system on the network.

[george1421]

@nsherin said in Booting Ubuntu Live CD:
ok next change (understand I’m swagging it a little)

Possibly it doesn’t like the dns names here of t-pxe. Replace the t-pxe value with the iPXE menu variable of ${fog-ip} That will then set the ip address of the fog server in there instead of the dns names. Refer to my working menu. on how to place the ipxe variable.

[nsherin]

Thanks! That worked! I replaced t-pxe with the server’s IP 192.168.0.22 and I now have a booted live CD!

[nsherin]

Oh and for a UK keyboard, the syntax is:

locale=en_GB.UTF-8 keyboard-configuration/layoutcode=gb

[george1421]

@nsherin Issue solved then?

[nsherin]

@george1421

Almost - I’m just trying Ubuntu Server now and have added another menu option:

Menu Item: fog.ubuntu-server
Description: Ubuntu Server 16.04
Parameters:
kernel nfs://192.168.0.22/images/os/ubuntu/16.04/server/install/vmlinuz
initrd nfs://192.168.0.22/images/os/ubuntu/16.04/server/install/initrd.gz
imgargs vmlinuz root=/dev/nfs boot=casper netboot=nfs nfsroot=192.168.0.22:/images/os/ubuntu/16.04/server/ locale=en_GB.UTF-8 keyboard-configuration/layoutcode=gb quiet splash ip=dhcp rw
boot || goto MENU

I have copied the Ubuntu Server CD contents into /images/os/ubuntu/16.04/server/

It boots to the Ubuntu installer and then asks me to insert a CD-ROM.

Any ideas would be great. Thanks!

[george1421]

@nsherin Again please review this post (especially Note1 where the installer asks for the cdrom during installation. And then note2 where it says where to get what you need): https://forums.fogproject.org/topic/10944/using-fog-to-pxe-boot-into-your-favorite-installer-images/6

[nsherin]

@george1421

Thanks for that - I’ve got it booting - my menu entry now looks like:

Menu Item: fog.ubuntu-server
Description: Ubuntu Server 16.04
kernel tftp://192.168.0.22/os/ubuntu/16.04/server/vmlinuz
initrd tftp://192.168.0.22/os/ubuntu/16.04/server/initrd.gz
imgargs vmlinuz initrd=initrd.gz root=/dev/nfs netboot=nfs nfsroot=192.168.0.22:/images/os/ubuntu/16.04/server/ locale=en_GB.UTF-8 keyboard-configuration/layoutcode=gb
boot || goto MENU

Many thanks again for your help!