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pxe-server/SETUP.md
cproudlock 851225d062 Add README, update docs, fix CRLF, SSH, and playbook network detection 
- Add comprehensive README.md with full project documentation
- Update SETUP.md to reflect current state (7 image types, webapp, boot tools, Samba shares)
- Enable SSH in autoinstall user-data for remote access
- Fix ansible_default_ipv4.interface error when no default gateway exists
- Fix Windows CRLF line endings on all shell scripts and YAML files
- Fix test-vm.sh: use --install kernel extraction instead of --location, don't delete source ISO on --destroy

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-02-06 17:38:55 -05:00

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# PXE Server Setup Guide
Automated build process for deploying an Ubuntu-based PXE boot server that hosts GE Aerospace Windows PE images. The entire setup is air-gapped — no internet required on the target machine.
## Architecture
```
Client PXE boot
-> Broadcom signed iPXE (Secure Boot)
-> iPXE boot menu (HTTP, port 4433)
├── Windows PE -> wimboot -> boot.wim -> startnet.cmd -> Samba -> Image deployment
├── Clonezilla -> vmlinuz/initrd -> Disk cloning/imaging
├── Blancco -> vmlinuz/initrd -> NIST 800-88 drive erasure (auto-reports)
└── Memtest86+ -> Memory diagnostics
```
### Services on the PXE Server
| Service | Port | Purpose |
|-------------|-----------|------------------------------------------|
| dnsmasq | 67/udp | DHCP (10.9.100.10-100) |
| dnsmasq | 69/udp | TFTP (serves ipxe.efi) |
| Apache | 80/tcp | HTTP (wimboot, WinPE boot files, proxy) |
| Apache | 4433/tcp | iPXE boot script (GetPxeScript.aspx) |
| Samba | 445/tcp | Deployment content + backup + reports |
| Flask Webapp| 9009/tcp | Web management interface |
## Prerequisites
### Hardware
- Server or PC with >= 8 GB RAM, >= 250 GB disk, one wired NIC
- USB thumb drive >= 8 GB (32+ GB if bundling WinPE images)
### Software (on your workstation)
- Ubuntu Server 24.04 ISO — https://ubuntu.com/download/server
- Linux workstation (Ubuntu/Mint) for running download and build scripts
- GE Aerospace Media Creator LITE (for caching WinPE images)
### GE Access Packages
- EPM Rufus Exception Request
- EPM DT Functions
- DLP - Encrypted Removable (USB) Long Term Access
## Setup Process
### Step 1: Download Offline Packages (one-time, requires internet)
```bash
./download-packages.sh
```
Downloads all .deb packages (ansible, dnsmasq, apache2, samba, wimtools, etc.) into `offline-packages/` and Python wheels (flask, lxml) into `pip-wheels/`. Approximately 252 packages (~140 MB) + 8 Python wheels.
**Packages included:**
- **Server:** dnsmasq, apache2, samba, ufw, cron
- **Automation:** ansible
- **Tools:** wimtools, unzip, p7zip-full
- **Python:** python3-pip, python3-venv
- **Network:** network-manager, wpasupplicant, wireless-tools, linux-firmware
### Step 2: Prepare Boot Tools (optional)
```bash
./prepare-boot-tools.sh /path/to/blancco.iso /path/to/clonezilla.zip /path/to/memtest.bin
```
Extracts boot files for Blancco, Clonezilla, and Memtest86+ into the `boot-tools/` directory. Automatically patches Blancco's `config.img` to auto-save erasure reports to the PXE server's Samba share.
### Step 3: Build the USB
```bash
# Basic — server only (import WinPE images later)
sudo ./build-usb.sh /dev/sdX /path/to/ubuntu-24.04-live-server-amd64.iso
# With WinPE images bundled (single USB, larger drive needed)
sudo ./build-usb.sh /dev/sdX /path/to/ubuntu-24.04.iso /path/to/winpe-images
```
This creates a bootable USB with:
- **Partition 1:** Ubuntu Server installer
- **Partition 2:** CIDATA (autoinstall config, offline .debs, pip wheels, Ansible playbook, webapp, boot tools)
### Step 4: Boot the Target Machine
1. Insert the USB into the target machine
2. Press F12 (or vendor boot key) and select the USB
3. Ubuntu auto-installs — no interaction needed
4. After reboot, the first-boot script installs all .deb packages and runs the Ansible playbook
5. PXE services (dnsmasq, Apache, Samba) are configured automatically
6. Flask webapp starts on port 9009
### Step 5: Connect to Isolated Network
Move the server's wired NIC to the isolated switch for PXE clients.
### Step 6: Import WinPE Content (if not bundled in Step 3)
**Option A:** Use the web interface at `http://10.9.100.1:9009` to import from USB.
**Option B:** Manual copy:
```bash
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/usb2
sudo mount /dev/sdb2 /mnt/usb2
sudo cp -r /mnt/usb2/. /srv/samba/winpeapps/gea-standard
sudo umount /mnt/usb2
```
## Web Management Interface
Access at `http://10.9.100.1:9009` from any machine on the isolated network.
| Page | URL Path | Purpose |
|-------------------|-------------|-----------------------------------------------|
| Dashboard | / | Service status, disk usage, DHCP clients |
| Image Import | /import | Import WinPE images from USB drives |
| Unattend Editor | /unattend | Edit Windows unattend.xml per image type |
| startnet.cmd | /startnet | Edit startnet.cmd inside boot.wim (wimtools) |
| Clonezilla Backups| /backups | Upload/download/manage disk backup images |
| Blancco Reports | /reports | View/download drive erasure reports |
| Audit Log | /audit | Activity history for all write operations |
## Verification
1. Connect a test workstation to the isolated switch
2. Set Network Boot (PXE) as first boot in BIOS/UEFI
3. Boot — the client should pull an IP from 10.9.100.x
4. iPXE loads, fetches the boot script from port 4433
5. Select an option from the boot menu:
- **Windows PE**: Boots via wimboot + boot.wim, maps Samba shares, begins deployment
- **Clonezilla**: Boots Clonezilla Live for disk imaging
- **Blancco**: Boots Drive Eraser, auto-saves reports to server
- **Memtest86+**: Runs memory diagnostics
## Testing with KVM
```bash
# Download Ubuntu ISO
wget -O ~/Downloads/ubuntu-24.04.3-live-server-amd64.iso \
https://releases.ubuntu.com/noble/ubuntu-24.04.3-live-server-amd64.iso
# Launch test VM
sudo ./test-vm.sh ~/Downloads/ubuntu-24.04.3-live-server-amd64.iso
# Watch progress (Ctrl+] to detach)
sudo virsh console pxe-test
# After install: ssh pxe@10.9.100.1 / http://10.9.100.1:9009
# Clean up
sudo ./test-vm.sh --destroy
```
## Project Structure
```
pxe-server/
├── autoinstall/
│ ├── user-data # Cloud-init autoinstall + first-boot script
│ └── meta-data # Cloud-init metadata (required, empty)
├── playbook/
│ ├── pxe_server_setup.yml # Ansible: dnsmasq, Apache, Samba, iPXE, UFW, webapp
│ └── inventory.ini # Ansible inventory
├── webapp/
│ ├── app.py # Flask application
│ ├── requirements.txt # Python deps (flask, lxml)
│ ├── static/ # CSS, JS, fonts, logo (all bundled offline)
│ └── templates/ # Jinja2 HTML templates
├── unattend/
│ └── FlatUnattendW10.xml # Windows unattend.xml template
├── boot-tools/ # Extracted boot files (gitignored, built by prepare-boot-tools.sh)
│ ├── blancco/ # Blancco Drive Eraser
│ ├── clonezilla/ # Clonezilla Live
│ └── memtest/ # Memtest86+
├── offline-packages/ # .deb files (gitignored, built by download-packages.sh)
├── pip-wheels/ # Python wheels (gitignored, built by download-packages.sh)
├── download-packages.sh # Downloads all offline packages
├── build-usb.sh # Builds the 2-partition installer USB
├── prepare-boot-tools.sh # Extracts/patches boot tools from ISOs
├── test-vm.sh # KVM test environment
├── README.md # Project overview
└── setup-guide-original.txt # Original manual setup notes (reference)
```
## Image Types
| Image Type | Domain | Description |
|----------------------|-----------------|-------------------------|
| gea-standard | geaerospace.com | Standard desktop |
| gea-engineer | geaerospace.com | Engineering desktop |
| gea-shopfloor | geaerospace.com | Shop floor kiosk |
| ge-standard | ge.com | Standard desktop |
| ge-engineer | ge.com | Engineering desktop |
| ge-shopfloor-lockdown| ge.com | Shop floor (locked) |
| ge-shopfloor-mce | ge.com | Shop floor (MCE) |
## Network Configuration
- PXE server static IP: `10.9.100.1/24`
- DHCP range: `10.9.100.10` - `10.9.100.100`
- Lease time: 12 hours
- DNS: `8.8.8.8` (passed to clients, not used by server)
- Firewall: UFW deny-by-default, allow 67/udp 69/udp 80/tcp 445/tcp 4433/tcp 9009/tcp
## Samba Shares
| Share | Path | Purpose |
|-----------------|----------------------------|-------------------------------|
| winpeapps | /srv/samba/winpeapps | WinPE deployment images |
| clonezilla | /srv/samba/clonezilla | Clonezilla disk backup images |
| blancco-reports | /srv/samba/blancco-reports | Blancco erasure reports (auto)|
All shares use guest access for the isolated network.
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