pxe nfs install

Forum: Networking
Topic: pxe nfs install
started by: davidcollins001

Posted by davidcollins001 on April 24 2007,08:35

Hi,

I have an old laptop that has no cd or floppy drive. I have done a PXE internet install of debian. I like debian, but to install with a desktop environment I need about 2-3 GB and it only has a 10GB HD to begin with, it also only has 64MB ram so the desktop isn't the fastest!

I have used dsl live on a couple of older computers and it worked really well, plus I like the whole apt-get thing too, so I want to install it on this one also. What I would like to know is if it is possible to install over nfs?

I have been researching on and off for the last couple of months about how to go about doing this and I just can't seem to figure it out, I have read the tldp how to a few times but I can't get to the bottom of it. I need to set up DHCP/TFTP to supply the PXE image - done this no probs. Then I need to setup nfs and a share point, I have nfs working and can mount across the network fine. The problem I am having is that I don't really know what I should be exporting (the iso image or the mounted iso?) and how and what cpmmands I should be supplying the kernel with via 'APPEND' in the pxelinux.cfg/default file.

At the moment I have tried taking the isolinux.cfg file and adding "ip=dhcp nfsroot=<ip address>:<nfs share>" I have also tried changing the root option to /dev/nfs, but I get a kernel panic.

I did find the how to for installing across the network without using nfs, but the last time I tried this it didn't work - I will give it another try, but I would really like to learn how to supply the file system across nfs.

Any help is greatly appreciated

Thanks

Posted by curaga on April 24 2007,14:32

I would export the mounted iso, I think that would work best, like the livecd or frugal..
I would use root=/dev/nfs, I think it's needed. But if you're booting from the iso, did you forget initrd=minirt24.gz?

Oh. Just why would you boot over network, when you could just copy the files over NFS, boot it (as a poormans frugal) and then install from there?

Posted by davidcollins001 on April 25 2007,09:36

Hi curaga,

Thanks for your reply. I think I am doing it right, but my kernel is not quite right, I am recompiling now. I wanted to do it this way because I like playing. I also know that it is possible so I want to be able to do it. I can also mess around with other live disc.

I didn't realise that I could copy the files over and install that way. I think I will do that when I get a spare moment

By the way nfs is cool, so easy to setup and so fast!