Fresh VM and Fog 1.2.0 install having issues with iPXE boot

[Sebastian Roth]

@jcook said:

I have the option to make the DHCP options be given in either ASCII or as an IP address or hex for that matter. Does is make a difference what I choose?

You can try ASCII instead of IP address but I kind of doubt this will make a difference. But please add another option (number: 60, type: String, value: PXEClient) and see if that helps.

[george1421]

@jcook If you experience no joy on this we may need to get a pcap file (tcpdump) of the dhcp discovery process to see what is or isn’t being sent. As long as the pxe client and fog server are in the same subnet/vlan its pretty easy to collect.

While this part isn’t specifically a FOG issue, it is one of the more common problems to setup. If you hang in there we can usually help you through this part. While PXE booting is not difficult to setup, there are a few parts that need to be configured in a specific order.

[jcook]

Fog worked great before so I’m definitely gonna get it working again one way or another. Since our school is fairly small I actually have time over the summer to image computer individual if I need too. At the moment though, I have all the computers on the campus with this Fog server network booting by default. Some of the teachers can handle pressing escape to skip it, so I have to go do it for them. But its a minor inconvenience compared to the power of Fog! I am going to call my switching support and see if they can help me see if the options are being passed. If not I can temporarily move fog to the same sub net and do the tcpdump on it again. If I have to do the capture I will post file.

[jcook]

I built my own iPXE kernel with this:

#!ipxe

dhcp
set next-server 172.18.164.6
set filename undionly.kpxe
chain tftp://${next-server}/${filename}

Then saved the file to my fog server and updated option 67 to the file name. Also changed owner and group. Boot client and at first it didn’t ask for the IP, but it loops and never loads the Fog menu. I think I can see why its doing it but don’t what change.

[Tom Elliott]

@jcook That is because you have it looping itself.

It’s ALWAYS going to be loking to get the next-server and filename which is the same you’re telling it to request.

Your ipxe kernel file should be

#!ipxe
dhcp
set next-server 172.18.164.6
chain tftp://${next-server}/default.ipxe

[jcook]

It still asks me for the IP of the Fog server. This stuff is mostly beyond me but maybe that will help yall out lol.

[Tom Elliott]

@jcook What’s the contents of your /tftpboot/default.ipxe file?

[jcook]

#!ipxe
cpuid --ext 29 && set arch x86_64 || set arch i386
params
param mac0 ${net0/mac}
param arch ${arch}
param platform ${platform}
param product ${product}
param manufacturer ${product}
param ipxever ${version}
param filename ${filename}
isset ${net1/mac} && param mac1 ${net1/mac} || goto bootme
isset ${net2/mac} && param mac2 ${net2/mac} || goto bootme
:bootme
chain http://172.18.164.6/fog/service/ipxe/boot.php##params

[jcook]

Here is a packet capture from the router that the support team was able to set up. Maybe it will shine some light.

0_1461165877412_000001_FOG_1461164083.pcap

undionly.kpxe.new is actaully the original that came with Fog that I renamed.

[Sebastian Roth]

Have your tried my last suggestion yet?

But please add another option (number: 60, type: String, value: PXEClient) and see if that helps.

In that pcap file I see option 67 set to undionly.kpxe.new… No wonder you are back to the tftp server prompt…

[jcook]

@Sebastian-Roth I added the option 60, but it didn’t seem to help, but it did give this"

PXE-E51:  No DHCP or proxyDHCP offers were received.

[jcook]

How can I download/overight the files in /tftpboot/ to be the defaults? I should just given them new names but now I can’t remember what I renamed them to 100%.

[jcook]

Tom, when I use that iPXE kernel you suggested i get something similar to the following (transcribed from a video i had to freeze frame to catch lol) :

tftp://172.18.164.6/default.ipxe... ok
params: command not found
Could not boot: Exec format error (http://ipxe.org/2e022001)

Not sure if it matter, but my cell phone videos is hard to read the 0’s or 8’s in that url.

[Tom Elliott]

@jcook just guessing this is the ipxe file you created?

[george1421]

Ok, this thread has gone on for 3 pages now. I think we need to regroup and understand where things are at.

My first recommendation is for the OP to upgrade to the latest trunk version (if not already there). Trying to chase issues with 1.2.0 doesn’t add value since its so old. That way we will have the latest kernel and inits as well as a known configuration for ipxe. My recommendation would be to spin up a new VM and install the trunk version directly on the vm and bypass upgrading from 1.2.0 stable.

Secondly we need to identify the dhcp server being used here and if at all possible use either a microsoft dhcp server or a linux dhcp server. Lets try to remove any (random) dhcp server and proxy dhcp issues from the picture.

Third, I think we have the networking environment fixed with the portfast setting in the switch.

(this will sound a bit condescending but its not intended to be that way). Setting up the environment for hosting FOG is just not that difficult when we are using a consistent build and a standard pxe booting resources. Simply if your dhcp server doesn’t support pxe booting properties, then get a different one.

[Sebastian Roth]

@jcook You are on the right track with your self build iPXE binary (as my option 60 didn’t do what I expexted!)… I always wanted to document the options needed and so I did just now: https://wiki.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=IPXE#rom-o-matic.eu

[jcook]

Tom - Yes, I used this code in rom-o-matic:

#!ipxe
dhcp
set next-server 172.18.164.6
chain tftp://${next-server}/default.ipxe

Does the file name matter? I have been make new name (ie: tom-undionly.kpxe) and not overwriting what was there any more.

@george1421 I have upgraded from 1.2.0 to trunk revision 7188, but can do as you suggested and go straight to trunk on a new VM. I did use a m0n0wall router and made a test network on a unmanaged switch and 1.2.0 worked fine. I just don’t know enough to set up a new DHCP server that will work with my switches and vlan/subnets, etc. on my own. DHCP is handled by a Adtran Netvanta 3140.

@Sebastian-Roth When I used the wiki article you mention, and Tom’s ipxe kernel I get something like “TFTP Error: File not found.” Just in case it matters, the filename the that rom-o-matic gives the file is “ipxe.kpxe”. Also I notice you say which options are yes and no, but some are ticked by default, if it isn’t listed either way in the wiki should I un-tick it?

[Sebastian Roth]

@jcook said:

Also I notice you say which options are yes and no, but some are ticked by default, if it isn’t listed either way in the wiki should I un-tick it?

Follow the instructions and leave defaults if they are not mentioned in the wiki article. I hope I got it all right.

If you name the file tom-undionly.kpxe or ipxe.kpxe you need to modify your DHCP option 67 to match the filename!

[jcook]

@Sebastian-Roth OK, thats what i figured but wanted to make sure. I am actaully following george1421 suggestions and setting up a fresh fog server with the trunk version. I will see what those defaults do, and then try out the custom kernel too if I need to.

[jcook]

Just wanted to update everyone on where I got today. I was unable to get the trunk version of fog install per these directions: https://wiki.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=Installation#Update_to_latest

So remembering that the content filter was blocking stuff and fixing that let me register clients, upload and deploy images, etc (The only issue that remains is the being prompted for the TFTP server IP), I decided to fire up my attempt at rebuilding our old 0.32 Fog server, and it is doing everything I need it to. I am able to image, upload and deploy, and I never get prompted to put in the TFTP server IP. For that install my option 66 is the server IP as expected, and I am using pxelinux.0 as my boot file for option 66.

I’m hoping that might make since to yall and maybe make something click as to what my problem was with new install (which was 1.2.0->upgraded to a version of trunk that I downloaded on 4/15/2016).

If that makes you think of anything, or you have other questions let me know. Since my immediate need seem to be met for now I was planning on installing 1.2.0 again and fooling with it and see if I can figure out whats going on once I have caught up on other projects.