PXE: No Network Option w/UEFI & Secure Boot Turned Off

[jcabuco]

Hi all, I’m wondering if anyone has run into a similar issue as me in trying to get computers to at least show an option for a network boot. First here’s the hardware…

Models I’m having trouble with:

HP EliteBook 1040 G4 - Tried using with USB Ethernet Port / USB C Ethernet Port
HP EliteBook Folio 1040 G3 - Tried with using USB Ethernet Port / Ethernet via Dock

Models that work for me:

HP EliteBook 840 - Has an Onboard Ethernet Port
HP EliteBook Folio 9470m - Has an Onboard Ethernet Port

The settings I want to use with PXE Booting are

UEFI
Secure Boot Disabled

For the problematic models, I notice that if I enable Secure Boot in BIOS with UEFI, I’m able to see an option to select IPv4 and Network Boot. As soon as I disable secure boot, move it to Legacy on UEFI, it’s as if no ethernet cable is plugged in.

(The problematic units can PXE Boot without issue in Legacy Bios (Non UEFI).

Is there an option you think I’m missing in BIOS for these things to be able to PXE Boot without Secure Boot?

Any ideas would be appreciated.

[george1421]

On these two troubled netbooks, do I understand you can only see network booting if secure boot is enabled?
If secure boot is enabled does it indeed try to pxe boot? (I understand that it won’t actually boot because of secure boot, but does it at least try?). If secure boot is the only problem then there is a workaround.

With uefi you MUST use a supported network adapter. The computers with built in network adapters are no problem. For usb network adapters, you need ones the device manufacture says will support pxe booting. Meaning you can’t just use random usb network adapters like you can in bios (legacy) mode. You need certified ones.

[jcabuco]

@george1421 Is there a listing I can reference that has certified USB Network Adapters for PXE Booting?

To answer your questions…

On these two troubled netbooks, do I understand you can only see network booting if secure boot is enabled? Yes

If secure boot is enabled does it indeed try to pxe boot? Yes

What would be the work around?

[george1421]

@jcabuco That list will be provided by your computer hardware manufacturer. For example a Dell tablet will only work with specific Dell branded usb network adapters. Your hardware manufacturer can only supply this information.

If you can’t get the proper network adapter, there is two ways to usb boot into FOG imaging. Since we are talking about uefi, there is a pretty simple way to load iPXE via a usb stick. The other way is to build a FOS usb stick. In either case you will need a network adapter that is supported by FOS (the customized linux OS that runs on the target computer to capture and deploy images). FOS has a pretty big supported hardware list.

[jcabuco]

@george1421 Where is FOS’s supported hardware list?

I also tried building this: https://wiki.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=USB_Bootable_Media

It loads iPXE, but then doesn’t receive an IP Address and just fails. Network Cable via USB Adapter is plugged in, but I assume it’s because I don’t have a certified adapter?

[george1421]

@jcabuco said in PXE: No Network Option w/UEFI & Secure Boot Turned Off:

Where is FOS’s supported hardware list?

FOS uses linux as its core OS. So any hardware supported by linux is supported by FOS. I personally haven’t seen a line by line listing of supported hardware. If you are using a mainstream network adapter then it should work.

Lets start with this tutorial: https://forums.fogproject.org/topic/6350/usb-boot-uefi-client-into-fog-menu-easy-way

Its simple all you need is a flash drive (128MB or larger, yes MB). Format it as a dos disk and create the uefi boot structure. Take ipxe.efi from your FOG server, copy it to the flash drive and rename it as the tutorial shows. Be sure to disable secure boot then boot from the usb stick.

[jcabuco]

@george1421 said in PXE: No Network Option w/UEFI & Secure Boot Turned Off:

https://forums.fogproject.org/topic/6350/usb-boot-uefi-client-into-fog-menu-easy-way

Is following https://forums.fogproject.org/topic/6350/usb-boot-uefi-client-into-fog-menu-easy-way the same as following: https://wiki.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=USB_Bootable_Media ?

[george1421]

@jcabuco Yes exactly the same except I don’t get the cred points for directing folks to the wiki The wiki page was based on that tutorial work.

Uefi is easy to create boot loader disk. The iPXE route is better with less caveats than booting right into FOS.

[jcabuco]

@george1421 was able to create the USB Bootable no problem, but it fails saying no configuration methods succeeded:(

Guess I have to hunt down a different ethernet adapter? I’m just confused as to why it gets detected when Secure Boot is enabled.

[george1421]

@jcabuco said in PXE: No Network Option w/UEFI & Secure Boot Turned Off:

it fails saying no configuration methods succeeded

This is iPXE’s way of saying it doesn’t have a driver for it. There is one other iPXE boot kernel you can try, the universal one snponly.efi. Grab that from your fog server and use the same process of copy and renaming as ipxe.efi. Also if your device has usb 2 and usb 3 slots place the network adapter in the usb 2 (black inside) slots. If you only have the blue ones then that may cause issues too.

[jcabuco]

@george1421 thanks, giving that a shot.

[jcabuco]

@jcabuco flash drive didn’t work for the 1040G3, but it did for the 1040G4.

What’s really confusing is that I pulled aside two 1040G3’s.

One of them is able to PXE boot and fully image with Secure Boot Off, UEFI On.

My guess is that there’s something within the BIOS of the 1040G3 that’s different from the other 1040G3. Ugh, at least I’m getting somewhere.

[george1421]

@jcabuco What about firmware versions if the hardware is exactly the same? If you have 2 matching systems something has to be different.

When you say it didn’t work, what does that mean? Can you take a clear picture of the error/not work with a mobile phone and post it here?

[jcabuco]

@george1421 I’ve got two videos for you. The BIOS Firmware on the problematic one is newer than the one where it works. I’ll try a rollback and see if that makes a difference. Anyways…

This is for the remaining problematic 1040G3

Video 1: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1OEeLrkW2I8FIqLh092IHH03-zAhcM8X6
This is me using the USB Bootable Flash Drive

Video 2: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Uz4cCiQf00VymXMKCqfiA7VK5-KKP3xl
PXE Booting without the USB Bootable Flash Drive