Surface 4 Network boot and Image

[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”.

[Psycholiquid]

OK little update here. This is the steps as I am taking them.

Hardware in use:
SP4 docking station
SP4 set to boot form network then USB then internal storage
Scope option for DHCP using ipxe.efi

Once the SP4 boot and downloads NBP file it goes to FOG menu without issue (Thank you Tom for seeing my stingy server habits)
Clicking Full Register Host
I am not able ot hit ? on image selection but if I know the number and enter it, it works jsut fine. I am not able ot use default options on some of the menus I have to enter Y/N or wit will just loop.
After entering all information I am able to see it registered in FOG

So DISCO. Now I need to figure out how to clean up the partitioning. But one thing at a time.

[Psycholiquid]

OK next snag, I was able to upload the image to the FOG server, no probems there, did all four partitions on a out of the box Surface 4.

Once it reboots and goes to teh FOG menu and I let it sit through the 3 second screen I get the following error:

Chainloading failed, hit ‘s’ for the iPXE shell

Any ideas?

[Tom Elliott]

@Psycholiquid Change the exit type. It’s probably trying to boot legacy style, try the grub_first_found_windows item.

[george1421]

@Psycholiquid That will be the exit type for that specific registered device in fog, its probably not sanboot, try grub.

[Psycholiquid]

@Tom-Elliott OK that is causing it to loop on the menu over and over.

I am trying GRUB_FirstHDD

[Psycholiquid]

No dice there either

[Tom Elliott]

@Psycholiquid What if you use exit?

[Psycholiquid]

@Tom-Elliott Trying it now.

[Psycholiquid]

@Tom-Elliott Back to Chainloading failed

[Tom Elliott]

@Psycholiquid what if you remove the network stuff?

[Psycholiquid]

@Tom-Elliott network stuff?

[Tom Elliott]

@Psycholiquid Yeah, have it boot without being plugged into the network.

[Psycholiquid]

@Tom-Elliott I changed it to SANBOOT and it worked. Testing again to verify

[Psycholiquid]

Excuse me I changed it to REFIND_EFI

[Psycholiquid]

Yep that worked, but what is that?

I am assuming it is just finding the boot partition on the hardware EFI

[Tom Elliott]

@Psycholiquid Yes. That’s why I suggested exit, but why is it trying to chainload?

[Psycholiquid]

@Tom-Elliott No clue

[Psycholiquid]

Testing capture and cloning now that I have most of the kinks worked out. Will report back.