PXE redirect via a menu.
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Hi guys, just wondering if its possible to boot from a linux PXE server to a menu that defaults to booting fog, but gives the option to boot from SCCM if I so wish on given machines?
So the menu would be for example:
- FOG (default after a few seconds)
- SCCM (affectionaly known in our workplace as SCUM)
We have both environments and one guy insists on continually changing the dhcp scope on given vlans to accomodate these 2 servers.
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Yes it is possible. If you know the kernel and the initrd (or iso) you’ll need, you just open up the /tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/default file and create a new menu entry.
I don’t know all your info needed for SCCM so I’m sorry I can’t break it down any easier for you.
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I think you’d want something along the lines of a menu entry as:
LABEL fog.sccm
KERNEL fog/kernel/memdisk
APPEND iso initrd=fog/images/sccm.iso raw
MENU LABEL SCCM
TEXT HELP
Useful Information about SCCM here!
ENDTEXT -
The suggestion above wouldn’t work as hes wanting to network boot from another PXE server. It may be possible using a menu option but I suspect you would have to load some software to do so as PXE booting is handled by the network card.
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You could chainload the system to point to the alternate PXE server, or you can just put the SCCM information onto your tftpboot folder and boot that way.
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To be honest, I don’t know a huge amount about SCCM or the way it PXE boots. Chain-loading would probably be the way I would go.
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It just depends though. Why use two pxe servers? You already have the pxe server for FOG, and you know FOG already works, why not just insert the files/kernels that SCCM uses and create a menu entry? It would be a lot easier, and you’re not fighting for ports between two systems.
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My justification for using two PXE servers is a pretty poor one really, I know FOG handles PXE nicely but I know very little about SCCM and how it handles PXE booting. I wouldn’t be surprised if Microsoft have some convoluted method which would require lots of work to migrate to FOG.
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If you know the kernel and the filesystem (init.gz) setup, it should be as easy as a menu entry that points to those areas. Other than that, it still uses 66 and/or 67 so the only way to use two pxe servers nicely is to keep redirecting that PXE systems when either or the other is needed.
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From a quick search it appears most people do it the other way, using SCCM as the primary PXE server, although the following post does have a little info on doing it the other way.
[url]http://www.vcritical.com/2011/06/peaceful-coexistence-wds-and-linux-pxe-servers/#comment-14629[/url]