e7313c2ca3
- iPXE boot menu with WinPE, Clonezilla, Blancco Drive Eraser, Memtest86+ - prepare-boot-tools.sh to download/extract boot tool binaries - Clonezilla backup management in webapp (upload, download, delete) - Clonezilla Samba share for network backup/restore - GE Aerospace logo and favicon in webapp - Updated playbook with boot tool directories and webapp env vars Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
133 lines
4.7 KiB
Markdown
133 lines
4.7 KiB
Markdown
# 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)
|
||
-> wimboot (HTTP from Apache)
|
||
-> WinPE (boot.wim)
|
||
-> startnet.cmd maps Samba shares
|
||
-> GE Aerospace image deployment
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
### 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) |
|
||
| Apache | 4433/tcp | iPXE boot script (GetPxeScript.aspx) |
|
||
| Samba | 445/tcp | Deployment content shares |
|
||
|
||
## 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
|
||
- Docker (for downloading offline packages)
|
||
- 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 + Docker)
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
./download-packages.sh
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
This runs an Ubuntu 24.04 Docker container to download all .deb packages (ansible, dnsmasq, apache2, samba, etc.) into `offline-packages/`. ~102 MB total.
|
||
|
||
### Step 2: 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, Ansible playbook, optional WinPE images)
|
||
|
||
### Step 3: 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
|
||
|
||
### Step 4: Connect to Isolated Network
|
||
|
||
Move the server's wired NIC to the isolated switch for PXE clients.
|
||
|
||
### Step 5: Import WinPE Content (if not bundled in Step 2)
|
||
|
||
Insert the Media Creator LITE USB and copy content to the Samba share:
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/usb2
|
||
sudo mount /dev/sdb2 /mnt/usb2
|
||
sudo cp -r /mnt/usb2/. /srv/samba/winpeapps/standard
|
||
sudo umount /mnt/usb2
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
## 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. WinPE boots via wimboot + boot.wim over HTTP
|
||
6. WinPE maps Samba shares and begins image deployment
|
||
|
||
## Project Structure
|
||
|
||
```
|
||
pxe-server/
|
||
├── autoinstall/
|
||
│ ├── user-data # Cloud-init autoinstall (Ubuntu config, first-boot script)
|
||
│ └── meta-data # Cloud-init metadata (empty, required)
|
||
├── playbook/
|
||
│ ├── pxe_server_setup.yml # Ansible: dnsmasq, Apache, Samba, iPXE, firewall, netplan
|
||
│ └── inventory.ini # Ansible inventory
|
||
├── unattend/
|
||
│ └── FlatUnattendW10.xml # Windows unattend.xml sample
|
||
├── offline-packages/ # .deb files (gitignored, built by download-packages.sh)
|
||
├── build-usb.sh # Builds the installer USB
|
||
├── download-packages.sh # Downloads offline .debs via Docker
|
||
└── setup-guide-original.txt # Original manual setup doc (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 | ge.com | Shop floor kiosk |
|
||
|
||
## 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)
|