How to: Modify the PXE boot menu to allow the booting of .iso files

[A Former User]

Thank you, ssx4life, that was exactly what I was looking for. I’m going to do submenus like rescue tools, operating systems, tasks, etc.

[joshua]

I am interested to hear how it works out for you… I might do something similar.

[ssx4life]

If you get this functionality working, please document it in a KB article or on the wiki.

thanks

[A Former User]

I’ve made something simple as creating a sub-menu and going back to main menu. Notice that you can change sub-menu title and background (and others) by including those parameters inside it. Of course, you can create sub-sub-menus, but this is an easy example.
In bold, the original text, and in red the added lines:

[B]DEFAULT vesamenu.c32[/B]
[B]MENU TITLE FOG Computer Cloning Solution[/B]
[B]MENU BACKGROUND fog/bg.png[/B]
[B]MENU MASTER PASSWD $1$0123456789[/B]
[B]\n[/B]
[B]menu color title 1;36;44 #ffffffff #00000000 std[/B]
[B]\n[/B]
[B]LABEL fog.local[/B]
[B]localboot 0[/B]
[B]MENU DEFAULT[/B]
[B]MENU LABEL Boot from hard disk[/B]
[B]TEXT HELP[/B]
[B]Boot from the local hard drive.[/B]
[B]If you are unsure, select this option.[/B]
[B]ENDTEXT[/B]
[B]\n[/B]
[B]LABEL fog.memtest[/B]
[B]kernel fog/memtest/memtest[/B]
[B]MENU LABEL Run Memtest86+[/B]
[B]TEXT HELP[/B]
[B]Run Memtest86+ on the client computer.[/B]
[B]ENDTEXT[/B]
[B]\n[/B]
[B]LABEL fog.reg[/B]
[B]kernel fog/kernel/bzImage[/B]
[B]append initrd=fog/images/init.gz root=/dev/ram0 rw ramdisk_size=127000 ip=dhcp dns=192.168.2.1 mode=autoreg web=192.168.2.115/fog/ loglevel=4[/B]
[B]MENU LABEL Quick Host Registration and Inventory[/B]
[B]TEXT HELP[/B]
[B]Automatically register the client computer,[/B]
[B]and perform a hardware inventory.[/B]
[B]ENDTEXT[/B]
[B]\n[/B]
[B]LABEL fog.reginput[/B]
[B]kernel fog/kernel/bzImage[/B]
[B]append initrd=fog/images/init.gz root=/dev/ram0 rw ramdisk_size=127000 ip=dhcp dns=192.168.2.1 mode=manreg web=192.168.2.115/fog/ loglevel=4[/B]
[B]MENU LABEL Perform Full Host Registration and Inventory[/B]
[B]TEXT HELP[/B]
[B]Perform a full host registration on the client[/B]
[B]computer, perform a hardware inventory, and[/B]
[B]optionally image the host.[/B]
[B]ENDTEXT[/B]
[B]\n[/B]
[B]LABEL fog.quickimage[/B]
[B]MENU PASSWD $1$0123456789[/B]
[B]kernel fog/kernel/bzImage[/B]
[B]append initrd=fog/images/init.gz root=/dev/ram0 rw ramdisk_size=127000 ip=dhcp dns=192.168.2.1 mode=quickimage keymap= web=192.168.2.115/fog/ loglevel=4[/B]
[B]MENU LABEL Quick Image[/B]
[B]TEXT HELP[/B]
[B]This mode will allow you to image this host quickly with[/B]
[B]it’s default assigned image.[/B]
[B]ENDTEXT[/B]
[B]\n[/B]
[B]LABEL fog.sysinfo[/B]
[B]kernel fog/kernel/bzImage[/B]
[B]append initrd=fog/images/init.gz root=/dev/ram0 rw ramdisk_size=127000 ip=dhcp dns=192.168.2.1 mode=sysinfo loglevel=4[/B]
[B]MENU LABEL Client System Information[/B]
[B]TEXT HELP[/B]
[B]View basic client information such as MAC address[/B]
[B]and FOG compatibility.[/B]
[B]ENDTEXT[/B]

[B]LABEL fog.debug[/B]
[B]MENU PASSWD $1$0123456789[/B]
[B]kernel fog/kernel/bzImage[/B]
[B]append initrd=fog/images/init.gz root=/dev/ram0 rw ramdisk_size=127000 ip=dhcp dns=192.168.2.1 mode=onlydebug[/B]
[B]MENU LABEL Debug Mode[/B]
[B]TEXT HELP[/B]
[B]Debug mode will load the boot image and load a prompt so[/B]
[B]you can run any commands you wish.[/B]
[B]ENDTEXT[/B]

[COLOR=#ff0000][B]MENU BEGIN Rescue tools[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][B]MENU LABEL Rescue tools[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][B]MENU TITLE FOG Computer Cloning Solution[/B][/COLOR]

[COLOR=#ff0000][B]LABEL Back[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][B]MENU EXIT[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][B]MENU LABEL Back[/B][/COLOR]

[COLOR=#ff0000][B]LABEL Hirens[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][B]kernel fog/hirens/memdisk[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][B]append iso initrd=fog/dell/MyHirensBootCD.iso raw[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][B]MENU LABEL Hiren’s Boot CD[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][B]TEXT HELP[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][B]Run Hiren’s Boot CD[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][B]ENDTEXT[/B][/COLOR]

[COLOR=#ff0000][B]LABEL Dell Diagnostics[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][B]kernel fog/dell/memdisk[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][B]append iso initrd=fog/dell/delldiags.iso raw[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][B]MENU LABEL Dell Diagnostics[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][B]TEXT HELP[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][B]Dell Diagnostic software[/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ff0000][B]ENDTEXT[/B][/COLOR]

[COLOR=#ff0000][B]MENU END[/B][/COLOR]

[B]\n[/B]
[B]PROMPT 0[/B]
[B]TIMEOUT 300\n[/B]

[B][ATTACH=full]62[/ATTACH][/B]
[B] [ATTACH=full]63[/ATTACH][/B]

[url=“/_imported_xf_attachments/0/62_FOG main menu.png?:”]FOG main menu.png[/url][url=“/_imported_xf_attachments/0/63_FOG sub menu.png?:”]FOG sub menu.png[/url]

[A Former User]

Added to KB [url]http://www.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=Edit_PXE_menu_to_create_sub_menus[/url]

[ssx4life]

Thanks for the documentation, glad it is working for you.

[bradgillap]

I keep getting this memdisk error when I try to load a win7pe SE iso. The ISO is about 200mb and the vm has 4gb of memory available.

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/cvZri.png[/IMG]

Ive tried keeppxe, raw, and rebuilding the ISO in several different ways. I tried a clean slate rebuild even but I can’t quite figure out if I’m troubleshooting the ISO or memdisk.

[ssx4life]

if you haven’t tried yet, please try an older version of memdisk for that .iso

I ran into issues in the past with the newer copies of memdisk in the past.

[Bjorn Jentoft]

It’s a known fact that tftp is not the fastest protocol out there. Bigger files transfer much better on http. If you exchange [B]pxelinux.0[/B] with [B]gpxelinux.0[/B], http is supported. This will decrease loading time of ISO files substantially.

Your pxelinux.cfg/default would then contain something like this

LABEL winstall32
MENU LABEL Install Windows (all 32-bit)
LINUX memdisk
INITRD [url]http://myfogserver/iso/LiteTouchPE_x86.iso[/url]
APPEND iso raw

or

LABEL winpe
MENU LABEL WinPE
LINUX memdisk
INITRD [url]http://myfogserver/iso/mywinpe.iso[/url]
APPEND iso raw

Good luck, Bjorn

[pallytank09]

[quote=“ssx4life, post: 1461, member: 268”]As for TRK look here - [url]http://www.technibble.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34477[/url]

p.s. google is your friend

I don’t have time to build and test these software packages due to my work schedule, but looking at the articles they seem rather cut+ dry and straight forward. Jump to part 3 of the guide for AV tools / etc.[/quote]

I followed the guide that was posted here for getting Trinity to boot. I end up with the menu structure but when I burrow down into it, the menu that should list the Trinity options is completely blank. Any thoughts?

[ssx4life]

@pallytank09 I’ll have to dig into seeing why TRK doesn’t boot for you. I know it’s possible, and I’ve seen it work in the past for some people. I just don’t have the time at the moment to research it.

_< Have you checked with the TRK forums yet? I would suggest that you create a new topic in the help forums for this so we don’t keep adding on / appending this topic so it ends up being longer than needed. That way someone else here may be able to help you (or me if I get time)

thanks!

[comprx]

[quote=“ssx4life, post: 672, member: 268”]In case anyone is running into trouble I’ve included a copy of my TFTPBOOT folder - [SIZE=4][B][url]http://www.mediafire.com/?1ps7ogj18abz93g[/url][/B][/SIZE] Feel free to play around with it and cut + paste items into your own fog server as you see fit. Just remember to back up your own files before hand! :)[/quote]

The file was removed. any chance of a reupload?

[ssx4life]

Not to leave people hanging or trying to pick up the pieces, but I have been absent from this project and many other items recently due to family issues, so I apologize for not keeping up with requests or being active on supporting this documentation at this time.

In regards to re-uploading the tftpboot folder perhaps another member can zip and upload one for you. I’m sorry I just don’t have time and or resources to dedicate to this currently.

If things change you’ll be the first to know. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions and I’ll try to get back to ya’ll when I have time.

Thanks in advance >_<

[chibiko]

Hi ssx4life. Can you take a look at my issue? [URL=‘http://fogproject.org/forum/threads/dell-precision-t5600-not-enough-memory-to-load-specified-image.3789/’]I have setup exactly as your guide. http://fogproject.org/forum/threads/dell-precision-t5600-not-enough-memory-to-load-specified-image.3789/[/URL] What version of syslinux do you think I should try? Should I go all the way back to version 2 or 3?

Bjorn, I’ve also tried your suggestion in using [B]gpxelinux.0 [/B]I changed this on my dhcp scope and copied gpxelinux.0 from the syslinux folder into my /tftpboot. However when I pxe boot up, I got an error saying [B]vesamenu.c32 not a com32r image. [/B]I can hit tab and then load my iso but this runs out of memory even quicker.

[brian_]

I modified my default to the correct menu and to allow booting of .iso images (windows 7)

but when i select the option in the pxe menu it just quits the pxe boot and restarts the machine.

any help would be nice, but i’ll be testing more tomorrow.

[brian_]

[quote=“brian_, post: 9719, member: 2729”]I modified my default to the correct menu and to allow booting of .iso images (windows 7)

but when i select the option in the pxe menu it just quits the pxe boot and restarts the machine.

any help would be nice, but i’ll be testing more tomorrow.[/quote]

fixed. had a capital letter in the filename. lawl

i’m also trying to boot to a 3.1 gig image to a machine that has 4 gigs of ram but it always errors out. any suggestions?

[chad-bisd]

I was able to add SeaTools for DOS to my list of utilities available via PXE boot. No more searching around for CD’s.

I copied the iso to /tftpboot and renamed it all lower case to make it easier. I added the following code to the /tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/default file just befor the PROMPT 0 at the bottom.

[CODE]
LABEL fog.seatools

    kernel memdisk
    append iso initrd=seatoolsdos223all.iso raw
    MENU LABEL SeaTools for DOS 2.23
    TEXT HELP
    Load SeaTools for DOS, a DOS based disk checking utility to scan for hardware errors with common hard drives.
    ENDTEXT

[/CODE]

[Kyle Rice]

Hello I’m trying to add spinrite to the PXE boot, so i followed your video, and now i get the Spinrite label in the boot menu but it won’t boot to it, it says "could not find ramdisk image : fog/spinrite/spinrite.iso

[Kyle Rice]

[quote=“Kyle Rice, post: 12437, member: 4275”]Hello I’m trying to add spinrite to the PXE boot, so i followed your video, and now i get the Spinrite label in the boot menu but it won’t boot to it, it says "could not find ramdisk image : fog/spinrite/spinrite.iso[/quote]

UPDATE : I just fixed it it was named spinrite.ISO not spinrite.iso.

[Kyle Rice]

Thanks OP (SSX4Life) for the very helpful video!!! this will help lots, imagine the possibilities!!!