Latest FOG 0.33b
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Well,
The method I’m using to get iPXE booting is really chainloading. So the initial process still requires DHCP request on the host at initial boot. This means Options 66/67 (Fog server and load filename) are both the same as they always have been, just the config file chains it off to iPXE.
I don’t know if your “modem” DHCP server and settings will allow you directing the PXE stuff to your FOG Server.
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dont think it will was trying to avoid using dchp on my windows server may have to though.
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how easy it is to add a configurable image as the background to iPXE?
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There isn’t a method to adding an image. I can add the “FOG” display banner if that suits people better.
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r1218 released.
The quick delete menu option now performs the delete purely from iPXE. Once the delete happens or if the option was selected, and host is not found, it provides an iPXE menu to request if you’d like to re-inventory the host. You can use hot keys to make the selections as you see fit. The letter f will perform Full registration, the letter q will perform quick registration, and the letter r will reboot the system.
There is a timeout set to whatever you’ve got your “pxe” menu timeout value to be. It auto chooses default.
I’m still loading the init.gz and bzImage for the registration. There are two reason’s for this.
The first reason is because of compatibility. While with iPXE it’s completely possible to register any host to FOG, it’s not exactly going to be pretty. The reason I say this is because if a host isn’t compatible with the init systems, but you’re able to task it like any other systems, it’ll fail miserably. Unless any one knows of a method of embedding partclone binaries into the ipxe.krn kernels so we can do everything through ipxe, I’m going to stick with using the “old” fog system do make sure a host works with fog before registering it.
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r1219 and r1220 released.
r1219 fixed an issue with the Menu’s on ipxe. If a boot option fails, it will bring you back to the menu instead of just freeze on BOOT FAILURE.
r1220 fixes an issue with the quick inventory system. Apparently it would return Host but the name would be null. It now works properly. Sorry about this taking so long.
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usually i’ll put my clients logo in the PXE image.
having a configurable banner might work… or you could have the option to completely disable the menu on the client so they can not hit their keyboard and get stuck on the menu. in previous versions the hide menu only hides it as long as they don’t touch anything on the PC.
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r1221 released to fix an issue on line 762 of the HostManagementPage I had: $$Location and it should have been $Location. Sorry about that!
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I never used the hide menu option for PXE. I’ll look into it for iPXE. I’ve tried, so far, to make booting into iPXE as painless as possible my enforcing the option to load to iPXE nearly instantly. If I remove the timeout value, it just freezes and never makes it to iPXE, probably because I’m not using the undionly.pxe file. Basically, I could create my own “pxelinux.0” file that is based on undionly.pxe, but directly tells the system to boot straight into iPXE. However, doing that would force everybody to keep their “ipxe” stuff in the service directory, where the current method allows people make configuration changes how they deem necessary.
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It just depends how valuable client branding is to others who use the project.
for me the menu could be completely removed and it would work well for me. I always use the web gui to make tasks and I pre-register hosts. having the interface on the client just means people can click buttons and call it to find out why they have a black screen with a flashing thing on it…
An auto register thing might work, but how do you keep track of machines etc that are naming themselves. I use my DHCP leases when I initially setup.
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What’s everyone’s thought’s on iPXE so far? Big thanks to Junkhacker on implanting the idea on me, and an even bigger thanks to those who’ve been testing it. I just want to make sure it’s working to everyone’s expectations, if not faster at loading many of the things we use, and became very used to just “waiting”.
Ultimately, the sky’s the limit now that we’re on iPXE, but for now I’m trying to keep things relatively simple.
My next big goals are to get Windows 8 imaging working under the default “EFI/GPT” installation mechanisms. I must ask, however, if other’s are able to perform this testing for me. For this, I must thank Luke Anderson of the forums here, as he helped me implement the GPT checks. To my knowledge, the Partition tables are now stored and reloaded correctly on systems. Luke is reporting the same issues with his Windows 8 box that Albatros was reporting about Windows 7. That said, I haven’t been able to replicate or even come close to trying to troubleshoot the issue as I don’t have a GPT system I can play with.
So I ask the community for more help on this. Preferrably those of you who know some code as well, so maybe you can test what will make it work.
I hope you like what’s coming so far and that I’m in the right line of thought here.
Thank you,
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For info I have added a background image to my ipxe boot cd.
I built an ipxe at
[url]http://rom-o-matic.eu/[/url]
with the following options.
CONSOLE_VESAFB
CONSOLE_CMD
IMAGE_PNG
in my ipxe boot file I added the console line.
so it now looks like
#!ipxe
console --picture ${boot-url}bg.png
:start
menu iPXE boot menuitem tftp FOG via tftp
item http-live FOG via http( live menu)choose target && goto ${target}
I’ve tried adding the console line to the fog code, but it looks like your ipxe.krn wasn’t built with the CONSOLE_CMD option.
Hope this makes sense.
[url=“/_imported_xf_attachments/0/543_boottest Clone.png?:”]boottest Clone.png[/url]
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It makes sense. I’m using the ipxe.krn file provided by the official ipxe.iso download. With this, i’ve been looking into building a custom ipxe.krn, so that it may also integrate https as a valid boot option. So any instruction and assistance would be very helpful.
That said, with console enabled, can we just take the menu and paste it (for all intents and purposes here) over the image, or does that require the standard pxe rechain method I’ve been able to find?
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r1222 released.
New ipxe.krn file that supports http, https, console, image_png, and the normal expected stuff. Copied the bg.png file that fog originally used to the ipxe folder in the service directory. Added statement to boot.php file to enable the background for more familiar items.
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r1223 released.
Just adds the bg.png file to the ipxe directory, sorry I missed it.
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r1224 released.
Updated ipxe.krn to only have what’s needed.
Fix the gpt message from being thrown in init.gz.
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Hi,
my company is thinking of switching from ghost to FOG. I’m the one who is testing FOG. But got some problems.
The version i pulled is from the SVN, but i got problems booting the Host registration (or any else entry) because my PCsboth show errors.Fujitsu Esprimo P910:
XZ decompressor out of memory
Kernel Panic: not Syncing - VFS unable to mount…
(not exact message, but if required i could take a photo and upload it.)Dell Optiplex 760 loads kernel and initrd and stops for a while. Than showing a message like “resyncing network interface” or something. I think it is the network adapter here not finding the right driver.
Main problem is, that the Fujitsu PC is not booting the init.gz file (i think) I tried to uncompress the file, and see what happens, but gunzip says it’s no .gz file…
any ideas what could help?
EDIT:
Ok, i fixed the PC with the Kernel Panic (by decompressing the init.gz with XZ [didn’t know of XZ] and gzip(ing) it again. Now it boots at least on the Fujitsu.Any hints for adding network drivers to the Dell PC Kernel?
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What revision are you on? 1224?
The kernel issue may already be taken care of, but the kernel you’ve got may not have the drivers needed, you can try my kernel at [url]https://mastacontrola.com/fogboot/kernel/bzImage[/url], or if you’re on 0.33b as the post suggests, go to the FOG Configuration Page, choose kernel update, select the drop-down for Unpublished kernels and choose the 3.13.3 kernel.
xz is the compression medium I’m using now, but I haven’t seen any issues with it loading the init.gz file. The only reason I haven’t renamed it as init.xz is many things reference it in the FOG systems, so I just left it be for now. xz is the compression I’m using, but your method will work as well as I’ve built my kernels with xz compression. My guess, however, is that the kernel that tried loading (I think it’s still 3.12.7) may not have the xz methods built in, I’ll try to fix that today.
The only reason I’m using xz compression is it makes the file sizes a lot smaller than gzip.
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r1225 released.
Updates the default kernel to TomElliott 3.13.3 so we are sure xz is built in.
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I also realized that GZIP is much bigger… I’m Uploading a image right now, when this is ready, i’m tring with the kernel you mentioned and report back.
I tried the newest unoficial kernel, but we’ll see if the 3.13.3 fixes it.
Also The 3.3.3 Kernel seems to fix booting on my Dell PC. Is there a way to set Kernel (and init, because i doubt 3.3.3 has XZ compiled in) on a MAC Basis? (I know of the Client Basis, but that doesn’t work, as i have to add it manually then.)
