Tails Linux PXE boot - "boot arguments must include a root= parameter"

[tadziuuu]

Hi,

i cant boot Tails 5.21 Linux over PXE
https://tails.net/
my config

set path /images/os/tails/521
kernel http://${fog-ip}${path}/vmlinuz
initrd http://${fog-ip}${path}/initrd.img
imgargs initrd=initrd.img config boottype=usb root=/dev/ram0 rw ramdisk_size=1300000 rootfstype=ext4 nopersistence noprompt timezone=Etc/UTC splash noautologin module=Tails slab_nomerge slub_debug=FZ mce=0 vsyscall=none init_on_free=1 mds=full,nosmt page_alloc.shuffle=1 randomize_kstack_offset=on fetch=http://${fog-ip}${path}/filesystem.squashfs ipby=dhcp ro ipv6.disable=1 FSUUID=A690-20D2_ 
boot || goto MENU

orginal USB config

label live
	menu label Tails 5.21
	kernel /live/vmlinuz
	append initrd=/live/initrd.img boot=live config live-media=removable nopersistence noprompt timezone=Etc/UTC splash noautologin module=Tails slab_nomerge slub_debug=FZ mce=0 vsyscall=none init_on_free=1 mds=full,nosmt page_alloc.shuffle=1 randomize_kstack_offset=on  quiet
	sysappend 0x40000

label livefailsafe
	menu label Tails (Troubleshooting Mode)
	kernel /live/vmlinuz
	append initrd=/live/initrd.img boot=live config live-media=removable nopersistence noprompt timezone=Etc/UTC splash noautologin module=Tails slab_nomerge slub_debug=FZ mce=0 vsyscall=none init_on_free=1 mds=full,nosmt page_alloc.shuffle=1 randomize_kstack_offset=on  noapic noapm nodma nomce nolapic nosmp
	sysappend 0x40000

I used the configuration below, these parameters give the same effect
https://superuser.com/questions/1772635/how-to-create-a-pxeboot-for-tails-os

Can anyone tell me where to look for a solution? Thank you in advance for your tips…

[george1421]

@tadziuuu I haven’t had a whole lot of time to look into this but it looks like this distro is debian based.

From the iso image it looks like the important files are

/live/vmlinuz, initrd.img, filesystem.squashfs

Just looking at your param field I would say the problem is probably in here

initrd=initrd.img config boottype=usb root=/dev/ram0 rw ramdisk_size=1300000

looking at the grub config file it says this:

	  linux /live/vmlinuz initrd=/live/initrd.img boot=live config live-media=removable nopersistence noprompt timezone=Etc/UTC splash noautologin module=Tails slab_nomerge slub_debug=FZ mce=0 vsyscall=none init_on_free=1 mds=full,nosmt page_alloc.shuffle=1 randomize_kstack_offset=on FSUUID=${rootuuid} quiet
	  initrd /live/initrd.img

So I would probably make the imgargs command look like this

imgargs vmlinuz initrd=initrd.img boot=live config live-media=removable fetch=http://${fog-ip}${path}/filesystem.squashfs nopersistence noprompt timezone=Etc/UTC splash noautologin module=Tails slab_nomerge slub_debug=FZ mce=0 vsyscall=none init_on_free=1 mds=full,nosmt page_alloc.shuffle=1 randomize_kstack_offset=on quiet

Lastly I would use the ISO image instead of the usb image for pxe booting. You might have better luck.

[tadziuuu]

@tadziuuu
no changes have any effect…

even boot from ISO if I boot on real hardware via PXE or on a virtual machine using proxmox over PXE or over ISO

set path /images/os/tails/521
initrd nfs://${fog-ip}:${path}/tails-amd64-5.21.iso
chain memdisk
boot || goto MENU

with ISO always the same message

only real USB on real hardware starts correctly…

[george1421]

@tadziuuu Just to be clear on a few points.

The .iso / memdisk route only works for bios based computers. This will not work for uefi based computers.

With the .iso image files and the parameter block I previously provided, you get the error message about initramfs? If yes, then I suspect the fetch command is not downloading the squashfs filesystem. I copied that command over from your initial parameter block. It looks like we need to focus on that bit then.