Surface 4 Network boot and Image

[Sebastian Roth]

@Psycholiquid Yes, iPXE is fine with your NIC and getting an IP. Then it loads the kernel and this kernel does not seam to play nice with your NIC. Try adding ‘has_usb_nic=1’ as Tom suggested.

[Scott Adams]

I can say that I added the kernel argument in my environment just now, and I am now able to image Surface Pro 4s. It would be nice if this was a built-in argument, as I had to manually create the host first, add the argument, then was able to get it to work.

[Psycholiquid]

@Sebastian-Roth I’m still not sure what you guys mean by that, were am I adding this?

“Try adding ‘has_usb_nic=1’ as Tom suggested.”

[Tom Elliott]

@Psycholiquid Edit the Full registration menu item. Look for fog.reginput, in the params field add has_usb_nic=1 to the params field and save the item.

Then boot the system.

[Psycholiquid]

@Tom-Elliott OK I’ll give that a try.

[Tom Elliott]

@Scott-Adams This isn’t a built_in argument because most people running FOG are using it for desktops. USB Nic’s are becoming popular but not enough so that I think it would entail everybody having to press enter on their systems.

[Psycholiquid]

@Tom-Elliott OK Params set this is the result.

https://youtu.be/UmitRjIjm0Y

I tried using just the USB NIC but it will just loop boot on it. I am having to use the SP4 docking station in order to get to the FOG menu. So basically the USB NIC is the secondary NIC.

Why cant they ever make this a bit easier.

[Psycholiquid]

This is the menu change I made:

[Psycholiquid]

When I take that option out and boot from network to the docking station I am getting this:

So I am getting somewhere. I am thinking the ipxe.efi file is good with the the docking station and it gets through to the menu but maybe its the kernel that cant see the drive?

[Tom Elliott]

When I said params, I was just saying for the boot arguments. I’m sorry. Can you please replace the parameters (I believe they’re blank). ANd add the has_usb_nic=1 to the boot options.

So your reginput boot options will become:

mode=manreg has_usb_nic=1

[Psycholiquid]

@Tom-Elliott said:

mode=manreg has_usb_nic=1

OK running the test again. I am gonna setup a live feed so I dont have to keep uploading LOL. Twitch FOG setup Screening

[Psycholiquid]

@Tom-Elliott OK test two run, same result. I am seeing the USB nic but only after it gets into the Registration part. Now need ot find a way for FOG to see the HDD.

https://youtu.be/EFP4DVJvSdw

[Tom Elliott]

On the boot options can you also add isdebug=yes

[Psycholiquid]

@Tom-Elliott said:

isdebug=yes

Added no change really unless I am missing something:

https://youtu.be/_6o2j4ffoa4

[Sebastian Roth]

@Tom-Elliott Does manreg get you to a shell??

[Psycholiquid]

OK this morning I am updating the FOG server to latest trunk off of SVN and replacing the .pxe files with the old ones. Lets see how this goes.

[Psycholiquid]

OK first test after upgrading is the following:

It doesn’t register the device but does dump some data and then drops me to a prompt.

[Psycholiquid]

Server running very slow after upgrade top results below:

[Tom Elliott]

Working with the OP found out the server had a Single CPU and 1GB of ram.

Upping the CPU to 4, and 4GB of RAM has significantly improved the server’s capabilities including fixing, at least seemingly, the issues with tftp.

My guess the server couldn’t get the tftp file fast enough so the dhcp server would fail to send out the proper information making the system request what IP to use.

[Tom Elliott]

OP is now running trunk versions that have the proper errors and handling for nvme. The init’s we have do not contain “find HDD” anymore. So the messages @Psycholiquid was seeing were from an older init (probably when reverting to snapshot) where the HDD code was not handled as “neatly”.