---
created: 2016-03-05 00:36:55 +0100
layout: redirect
layout_old: default
redirect_to: https://blog.mbirth.de/archives/2016/03/05/ipxe-scripts-for-tools.html
tags:
- know-how
- software
- ipxe
- network
- booting
title: iPXE Scripts for Tools
toc: true
updated: 2016-03-05 00:36:55 +0100
---

Most tools you want to boot are probably Linux systems. To boot them, you need
a *kernel* and some (initial) filesystem. One way is to load an *initrd*
(initial ramdisk) which contains only the basic stuff and mounts the big
filesystem itself. Or you can mount the "big" filesystem directly and use that
from the beginning.

You can find my current config [here](https://github.com/mbirth/ipxe-config).
And below you'll find detailed instructions for those tools.

![]({{ site.url }}/assets/ipxe05.jpg){: width="400px"}


Bootstrap
=========

For general preparation, I fill some variables with architecture relevant data,
e.g. if the system is 32bit or 64bit. And to spice things up, I also have a few
variables with colour codes. This is the code I use:

```
set esc:hex 1b
set bold ${esc:string}[1m
set orange ${esc:string}[33;0m
set yellow ${esc:string}[33;1m
set cyan ${esc:string}[36;1m
set resetfg ${esc:string}[39m
set resetbg ${esc:string}[49m
set resetbold ${esc:string}[22m
set reset ${esc:string}[0m

# Figure out if client is 64-bit capable
cpuid --ext 29 && set arch x86_64 || set arch x86
cpuid --ext 29 && set archb 64 || set archb 32
cpuid --ext 29 && set archl x86_64 || set archl i386

set chotkey ${bold}
set cname ${orange}
```

Also, `${boot-url}` is the URL to my web server's `ipxe` directory where
everything is located.


AVG Rescue CD
=============

To run the [AVG Rescue CD](http://www.avg.com/ww-en/avg-rescue-cd), you need
these files from the ISO image:

* `isolinux/vmlinuz`
* `isolinux/initrd.lzm`

Then use this iPXE configuration:

```
echo Booting ${cname}AVG Rescue CD${reset}
set base-url ${boot-url}avg/
kernel ${base-url}vmlinuz max_loop=255 init=linuxrc vga=ask reboot=bios
initrd ${base-url}initrd.lzm
boot || goto failed
```


BitDefender Rescue CD
=====================

For the [BitDefender Rescue CD](http://www.bitdefender.com/support/how-to-create-a-bitdefender-rescue-cd-627.html)
you need to unpack the ISO image to some directory and make that available via
NFS.

Also, you need the files:

* `boot/kernel.x86_64-efi`
* `boot/kernel.i386-pc`
* `boot/initfs.x86_64-efi`
* `boot/initfs.i386-pc`

Rename them to remove the `-pc` and `-efi` suffixes, then use this iPXE config
(adapt to your needs, esp. the `nfsroot` parameter):

```
echo Booting ${cname}BitDefender Rescue CD${reset} (${archl})
set base-url ${boot-url}bitdefender/
kernel ${base-url}kernel.${archl} root=/dev/nfs real_root=/dev/nfs nfsroot=172.16.254.1:/volume1/web/ipxe/bitdefender/cd/ ip=${ip} loop=/rescue/livecd.squashfs looptype=squashfs livecd.nfsif=${mac} initrd udev cdroot nosplash lang=en
initrd ${base-url}initfs.${archl}
boot || goto failed
```


CloneZilla
==========

Download [CloneZilla](http://clonezilla.org/downloads/download.php?branch=stable)
as a zip package. Download both architecture versions (`amd64` and `i686`). From
the zip files, you need these files (per architecture):

* `live/vmlinuz`
* `live/initrd.img`
* `live/filesystem.squashfs` --- "big" filesystem
* `live/Clonezilla-Live-Version` --- version marker

Put these files into a directory `x86_64` for the `amd64` variant, and `x86` for
the `i686` variant.

Then use this iPXE config (notice the `${arch}` in the `base-url`):

```
echo Booting ${cname}Clonezilla${reset} (${arch})
set base-url ${boot-url}clonezilla/${arch}/
kernel ${base-url}vmlinuz boot=live union=overlay username=user config components noswap edd=on nomodeset nodmraid noeject locales= keyboard-layouts= ocs_live_run="ocs-live-general" ocs_live_extra_param="" ocs_live_batch=no vga=normal net.ifnames=0 nosplash i915.blacklist=yes radeonhd.blacklist=yes nouveau.blacklist=yes vmwgfx.enable_fbdev=1 fetch=${base-url}filesystem.squashfs
initrd ${base-url}initrd.img
boot || goto failed
```


DFSee
=====

For [DFSee](http://www.dfsee.com/) the easiest way is to load the whole ISO
image into RAM and boot it from there.

```
echo Booting ${cname}DFSee${reset}
kernel ${boot-url}memdisk iso raw
initrd ${boot-url}dfsee/dfsee.iso
boot || goto failed
#sanboot --no-describe --drive 0x00 ${sanboot-url}dfsee/dfsee.iso
```

(The `sanboot` line didn't work for me for some reason. That's why I used
[memdisk](http://www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php?title=MEMDISK) instead.)


FSecure
=======

Getting the [F-Secure Rescue CD](https://www.f-secure.com/en/web/labs_global/rescue-cd)
to boot via the network is a bit more complicated (if you want to avoid using
`memdisk`).

From the ISO image, you need the following:

* `boot/isolinux/fsecure/linux` --- kernel
* `boot/isolinux/fsecure/minirt.gz` --- init ramdisk
* `KNOPPIX/` --- folder with the remaining system files

Then proceed according to [this](http://www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php?title=WDSLINUX#F-Secure_Antivirus_Rescue_CD):

* Copy the extracted `minirt.gz` file and `KNOPPIX/` folder to a temporary
  location on a linux machine (e.g. `/root/tmp`)
* In the `/root/tmp` location create a folder called `fsecure` and change
  into this directory

        mkdir /root/tmp/fsecure
        cd /root/tmp/fsecure

* Type the following command and press enter (this extracts all the files from
  the `minirt.gz` file)

        gunzip -c ../minirt.gz | cpio -idv

* Copy the `KNOPPIX` folder to the `mnt-system` folder (from the now extracted
  `minirt.gz`)

        cp -r ../KNOPPIX mnt-system

* Make a backup copy of the `init` file

        cp init init.orig

* Edit the `init` file with the following modifications

  * Find the `# findknoppix devices...` section and delete everything from the
    `findknoppix()` method and replace it by `return 0`

    Change

    ```bash
# findknoppix devices...
findknoppix(){
 local dev
 for dev in "$@"; do
  [ -b "$dev" ] || continue
  echo -n -e "\r${CRE}${BLUE}${SEARCHINGFOR} $DISTRO in: ${MAGENTA}$dev${NORMAL}   "
  trymount "$dev" /mnt-system >/dev/null 2>&1 || continue
  if [ -r /mnt-system/"$knoppix_dir"/KNOPPIX ] ; then
      # We must have also fsecure structure present else we might try to mount something wrong.
      if [ -d /mnt-system/fsecure/rescuecd ] || [ -d /mnt-system/boot/isolinux/fsecure ] ; then
         echo -e "\r${CRE}${GREEN}$DISTRO ${FOUNDAT}: ${MAGENTA}$dev${NORMAL}       "
         return 0
      fi
  fi
  umount /mnt-system
 done
 return 1
}
```

    into

    ```bash
# findknoppix devices...
findknoppix(){
 return 0
}
```

* Compress everything back into a file again by typing the following and
  press enter

        find . -print | cpio -o -H newc |gzip -9 -c - > ../minirt.gz.new

* Copy the new `minirt.gz.new` to the `fsecure` directory on the web server
  and name it `minirt.gz`

* Copy the `linux` kernel to the same directory

This is the iPXE boot code:

```
echo Booting ${cname}F-Secure Rescue CD${reset}
set base-url ${boot-url}fsecure/
kernel ${base-url}linux ramdisk_size=100000 lang=en vt.default_utf8=0 apm=power-off vga=normal nomce loglevel=1 nolapic_timer nosound console=tty10 video=noblank
initrd ${base-url}minirt.gz
boot || goto failed
```


G4L - Ghost for Linux
=====================

For [G4L](https://sourceforge.net/projects/g4l/) extract these files from the
iso image:

* `ramdisk.lzma`
* `bz4x2.8` --- kernel 4x2.8, seems to be more compatible than the others

(You can try different kernel versions if you run into problems.)

Here's the iPXE config:

```
echo Booting ${cname}G4L - Ghost for Linux${reset}
set base-url ${boot-url}g4l/
kernel ${base-url}bz4x2.8
initrd ${base-url}ramdisk.lzma
boot || goto failed
```


g4u - ghosting for unix
=======================

I tried to boot [g4u](http://www.feyrer.de/g4u/) directly, but that didn't work
for me. So the easiest way is to load the whole ISO into RAM and boot it from
there - just as if you inserted the CD.

```
echo Booting ${cname}g4u - ghosting for unix${reset}
set base-url ${boot-url}g4u/
#kernel ${base-url}netbsd
#initrd ${base-url}miniroot.kmod
kernel ${boot-url}memdisk iso raw
initrd ${base-url}g4u-2.5.iso
boot || goto failed
```


GParted Live
============

Just like with CloneZilla, you can download [GParted Live](http://gparted.org/download.php)
as a zip file for `amd64` and `i686` architecture.

Then get these files from each zip file and put them into directories `x86_64`
(for `amd64`) and `x86` (for `i686`).

* `live/GParted-Live-Version`
* `live/vmlinuz`
* `live/initrd.img`
* `live/filesystem.squashfs`

This is the iPXE config I use:

```
echo Booting ${cname}GParted Live${reset} (${arch})
set base-url ${boot-url}gparted/${arch}/
kernel ${base-url}vmlinuz boot=live union=overlay username=user config components noswap noeject ip= net.ifnames=0 nosplash fetch=${base-url}filesystem.squashfs
initrd ${base-url}initrd.img
boot || goto failed
```


HDT - Hardware Detection Tool
=============================

[HDT](http://www.hdt-project.org/) comes as a small floppy image and can be
booted using the `sanboot` command.

```
echo Booting ${cname}Hardware Detection Tool${reset}
sanboot --no-describe --drive 0x00 ${sanboot-url}hdt/hdt.img || goto failed
```


Memtest86 V6
============

[Memtest86](http://www.memtest86.com/) comes as a usb flash drive image which
you can boot using [memdisk](http://www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php?title=MEMDISK).

```
echo Booting ${cname}Memtest86 V6${reset}
kernel ${boot-url}memdisk
initrd ${boot-url}memtest86-6/memtest86-usb.img
boot || goto failed
#sanboot --no-describe --drive 0x00 ${sanboot-url}memtest86-6/memtest86-usb.img
```

(Again, `sanboot` didn't work for me.)


Memtest86+ V5
=============

[Memtest86+](http://www.memtest.org/) is the free and open-source alternative
to Memtest86. This is distributed as a ready-to-boot binary.

```
echo Booting ${cname}Memtest86+ V5${reset}
boot ${boot-url}memtest86+/memtest86+.bin || goto failed
```


SystemRescueCD
==============

For the [SysRescCD](https://www.system-rescue-cd.org/), you need the
following files from the ISO image:

* `sysrcd.dat` --- "big" filesystem
* `sysrcd.md5` --- checksum to validate the sysrcd.dat
* `isolinux/rescue32` --- kernel for 32bit systems
* `isolinux/rescue64` --- kernel for 64bit systems
* `isolinux/initram.igz` --- initial ramdisk

Copy those to a directory `sysresccd` on your web server (where the `boot.ipxe`
is).

SysRescCD looks for the "big" filesystem for itself. You just have to point it
into the right direction with the `netboot` parameter.

```
echo Booting ${cname}SystemRescueCD${reset} (${archb})
set base-url http://diskstation:80/ipxe/sysresccd/
kernel ${base-url}isolinux/rescue${archb}
initrd ${base-url}isolinux/initram.igz
imgargs rescue${archb} setkmap=de dodhcp netboot=${base-url}sysrcd.dat
boot || goto failed
```