--- title: iPXE Scripts for Tools layout: default created: 2016-03-05 00:36:55 +0100 updated: 2016-03-05 00:36:55 +0100 toc: true tags: - know-how - software - ipxe - network - booting --- 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 ```