Configure PXE Server in RHEL-6

The Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) is an industry standard client/server interface that allows networked computers that are not yet loaded with an operating system to be configured and booted remotely by an administrator. The PXE code is typically delivered with a new computer on a read-only memory chip or boot disk that allows the computer (a client) to communicate with the network server so that the client machine can be remotely configured and its operating system can be remotely booted. 

Step 1: First Set the static IP address

# vim /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0
     BOOTPROTO=static
     IPADDR=192.168.0.1
     NETMASK=255.255.255.0
     DNS=192.168.0.1

:wq (save and exit)

Step-2 Insert the RHEL 6 dvd into DVD ROM and Mount in'/media'

# mount /dev/cdrom /media

Step-3 Create 'yum' server

Note-If you don't know how to configure 'yum' Server,Please Click this 
Link-http://ashutoshlinuxnotes.blogspot.in/p/10.html

or

# cd /media/Packages

# rpm -ivh vsftpd* -y              # Install 'vsftpd' package
# mkdir /var/ftp/pub/rhel-6     #-->Create a Directory
# chmod -R 777 /var/ftp/pub/ #-->Change Directory Permission

#-->Copy all '/media'data in this location '/var/ftp/pub/rhel-6/

# cp -rvf . /media/* /var/fip/pub/rhel-6/

# cd /etc/yum.repos.d/
# vim yum.repo

[yum-server]
name=ashutosh
baseurl=file:///var/ftp/pub/rhel-6/
gpgcheck=0


:wq

# umount /media              #--> Umount '/media'

# yum clean all                 #--> Clear all cache memory

# service vsftpd restart     #--> restart vsftpd service
# chkconfig vsftpd on     
# yum list  

Yun Server Configuration has been finished..

Step-4 Now install syslinux, xinetd, tftp-server, dhcp, system-config-kickstart, nfs-utils, using yum

# yum install syslinux dhcp tftp-server system-config-kickstart nfs-utils -y


Step-5 Configure DHCP Server

Note-If you don't know how to configure 'dhcp' Server,Please Click this 
Link- http://ashutoshlinuxnotes.blogspot.in/p/25_7.html

or

# cp /usr/share/doc/dhcp-4.1.1/dhcpd.conf.sample /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf

Now Edit dhcpd.conf file according to your network

# vim /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf

----------------------------------------------------------
Allow booting;
Allow bootp;
authoritative;

# This is the very basic subnet declaration.

subnet 192.168.0.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
        range  192.168.0.1   192.168.0.50;
        option domain-name  "server.com";
        option domain-name-servers 192.168.0.1;
        default-lease-time  21600;
        max-lease-time      43200;
        next-server 192.168.0.1;
        filename *pxelinux.0*;
}

:wq!
------------------------------------------------------------------

# service dhcpd restart
# chkconfig dhcpd on


DHCP Server Configuration has been finished.

Step-6 Configure TFTP Server

# vim /etc/xinetd.d/tftp

disable   = no

:wq

# cp -rvf /var/ftp/pub/rhel-6/isolinux/* /var/lib/tftboot/

# mkdir /var/lib/tftboot/pxelinux.cfg

# cp /var/lib/tftboot/isolinux.cfg /var/lib/tftboot/pxelinux.cfg/default

# cp /usr/share/syslinux/pxelinux.0 /var/lib/tftpboot/

# service xinetd restart
# chkconfig xinetd on

Step-7 Disable Firewall

# system-config-firewall

Step-8 Create kickstart file

1- Download Kickstart File-
Click This LInk- https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6a_xo57qqI9VXE2VEhzcjVadGM/edit?usp=sharing

2- Open 'system-config-kickstart'

# system-config-kickstart


Note- How to Configure kickstart file---Read

Click File Menu--> Click Opn File--> (Define your Download File path)--> Select file ks.cfg--> Click open

Basic Configuration-

Default Language-: Choose the language to use during the installation and as the default language to be used after installation from the Default Language menu.

Keyboard-: Select the system keyboard type from the Keyboard menu.

Time Zone-: From the Time Zone menu, choose the time zone to use for the system. To configure the system to use UTC, select Use UTC clock.

Root Password-: Enter the desired root password for the system in the Root Password text entry box. 

Target Architecture-: Choosing Target Architecture specifies which specific hardware architecture distribution is used during installation. 

Installation Method-  
The Installation Method screen allows you to choose whether to perform a new installation or an upgrade. If you choose upgrade, the Partition Information and Package Selection options are disabled. They are not supported for kickstart upgrades.

 Boot Loader Option-

 Partition Information-To create a partition, click the Add button.

Network Configuration-

Authentication-

Firewall Configuration-

Display Configuration-

Pacakge Selection-

The Package Selection window allows you to choose which package groups to install.

Package resolution is carried out automatically.

Pre-Installation Script-

Post Installatio script-

Note- Type this script (This script automatic create yum repo in client pc)


cat >> /etc/yum.repos.d/client.repo << EOF
[client]
name=clientpc
baseurl=ftp://192.168.0.1/var/ftp/pyb/rhel-6
gpgcheck=0

Now Click File Menu--> Click Save and save to  /var/ftp/pub/rhel-6 --->File name- ks.cfg

Check this file 'ks.cfg'

# ll /var/ftp/pub/rhel-6

# vim /var/lib/tftboot/pxelinux.cfg/default

Entry- ks=ftp://10.0.0.1/pub/rhel-6/ks.cfg

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
default vesamenu.c32
#prompt 1
timeout 600

display boot.msg

menu background splash.jpg
menu title Welcome to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.1!
menu color border 0 #ffffffff #00000000
menu color sel 7 #ffffffff #ff000000
menu color title 0 #ffffffff #00000000
menu color tabmsg 0 #ffffffff #00000000
menu color unsel 0 #ffffffff #00000000
menu color hotsel 0 #ff000000 #ffffffff
menu color hotkey 7 #ffffffff #ff000000
menu color scrollbar 0 #ffffffff #00000000

label linux
  menu label ^Install or upgrade an existing system
  menu default
  kernel vmlinuz
 append initrd=initrd.img linux ks=ftp://192.168.0.1/pub/rhel-6/ks.cfg
label vesa
  menu label Install system with ^basic video driver
  kernel vmlinuz
  append initrd=initrd.img xdriver=vesa nomodeset
label rescue
  menu label ^Kickstart installation system
  kernel vmlinuz
  append initrd=initrd.img

label local
  menu label Boot from ^local drive
  localboot 0xffff

:wq
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Reatart all Services-

# service vsftpd restart
# service dhcpd restart
# service xinetd restart


PXE Server Configuration has been Completed.

Now On Client PC and Boot Pxe Server....

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