A new utility has just appeared which makes installing Windows XP, 2003, Vista, Win 7, Win 8 or Win 2K8 via PXE very easy! It is called Serva and can be found here. It does NOT require the Windows WAIK to be installed and is quite a small download - with it you can set up a RIS and WDS server on your Windows PC and you don't need to even touch any existing DHCP server or router!
Procedure
- Download Serva from the Serva website (the non-supporter version is free)
- Run the download to unpack the files and copy the Serva files to any convenient folder on your Windows hard disk.
- Create a C:\SERVA_ROOT empty folder
- Run Serva.exe and click on the Settings button at the bottom
- Click on the TFTP tab and set the Root directory to C:\SERVA_ROOT and tick the TFTP Server box as shown below:
6. Click on the DHCP tab and set proxyDHCP (if you already have a DHCP server or DHCP router) and tick the BINL box.
7. Quit the app and re-run the Serva.exe app again. This is
necessary because when Serva re-starts it will generate the PXE download
files according to what folders you have created. Serva only does this
when it starts. If you make any changes to the folders under
C:\SERVA_ROOT then you should always quit and re-run Serva before you
try a PXE boot.
8. Check that there are now some folders underneath the C:\SERVA_ROOT folder
9. Set up a Windows share to the C:\SERVA_ROOT\WIA_WDS folder and after that, use the Windows Advanced Properties dialogue (click on the folder and then click Properties - Sharing) to set access for Everyone and set the Share name to WIA_WDS_SHARE.
10. Copy the contents of your Windows 7 (or Win8 or Vista or Server
2K8R2) DVD to a new folder - e.g. copy a Win 7 SP1 32-bit install DVD
to C:\SERVA_ROOT\WIA_WDS\Win7_32_SP1
11. If you have more DVDs, just make a new folder for each of them under C:\SERVA_ROOT\WIA_WDS
12. If you have NT OS source files (e.g. 2003, XP or Server2K8 non-R2) then put these under C:\SERVA_ROOT\WIA_RIS and share the C:\SERVA_ROOT folder as WIA_RIS_SHARE (see doc on website). Make sure "Everyone" group has read permission on the just created share. You also need to set a Null Session share on the C:\SERVA_ROOT folder.
13. Quit the Serva app and re-run it
14. Now try to PXE boot your target system
15.
For a WDS install (Vista, Win7,Win8, SVR2K8R2), you will be prompted
for a username and password - use your host PC computername\username
and password
That's it - now try to PXE boot a system over Ethernet. You should then see the Serva menu if PXE booting was successful:
Booting/Installing Linux and BSD Distributions
16. SUSE Linux Enterprise / openSUSE Linux;-Serva v2.1 Non-Windows Asset Information File ;-Boot/Install: ; SUSE Linux Enterprise / openSUSE Linux ;-Tested on: ; SLED-11-SP1-DVD-i586-GM-DVD1.iso ; openSUSE-12.2-DVD-i586.iso ;-Require: ; \NWA_PXE\ offered as HTTP root ;-Notes: ; - [PXESERVA_MENU_ENTRY] asset = SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 11 SP1 platform = i586 kernel = NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/boot/i386/loader/linux append = initrd=NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/boot/i386/loader/initrd splash=silent vga=0x314 showopts netdevice=bootif install=http://$IP_BSRV$/$HEAD_DIR$/ ipappend = 2
SUSE Linux Enterprise / openSUSE requires Serva's HTTP server offering \NWA_PXE\ as root.
17. Red Hat Enterprise Linux / CentOS Linux
;-Serva v2.1 Non-Windows Asset Information File ;-Boot/Install: ; Red Hat Enterprise Linux / CentOS Linux ;-Tested on: ; rhel-workstation-6.3-x86_64.iso ; rhel-server-6.1-i386-dvd.iso ; CentOS-6.3-i386-bin-DVD1.iso ;-Require: ; \NWA_PXE\ offered as HTTP root ;-Notes: ; For KickStart add to append ks=http://$IP_BSRV$/$HEAD_DIR$/images/pxeboot/ks.cfg [PXESERVA_MENU_ENTRY] asset = RHEL Workstation 6.3 platform = x86_64 kernel = NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/images/pxeboot/vmlinuz append = initrd=NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/images/pxeboot/initrd.img method=http://$IP_BSRV$/$HEAD_DIR$ noipv6 ksdevice=bootif ipappend = 2
Red Hat Enterprise Linux / CentOS Linux requires Serva's HTTP server offering \NWA_PXE\ as root
Fedora Linux requires Serva's HTTP server offering \NWA_PXE\ as root.
Ubuntu LTS 12.04 Live requires:
20. Ubuntu Desktop 12.10 Live
Ubuntu 12.10 Live requires an MS share NWA_PXE_SHARE user=serva password=avres.
When using Serva as proxyDHCP the external DHCP server must be able to answer to BOOTP requests; if it fails try replacing ip=bootp by ip=dhcp.
VMware VMvisor requires:
5.x: Editing BOOT.CFG deleting all the "/" from variables "kernel" and "module".
4.x: Use alternative append
Serva PXE/BINL non-Windows Boot/Install was basically designed as a simple alternative to the conventional Linux based PXE install systems. Users from the MS Windows world sure will find fewer obstacles now when venturing themselves into the non-Windows net boot/install arena.
For more information please visit Serva Link
18. Fedora Linux
;-Serva v2.1 Non-Windows Asset Information File ;-Boot/Install: ; Fedora Linux ;-Tested on: ; Fedora-17-i386-DVD.iso ; Fedora-17-i686-Live-Desktop.iso ;-Require: ; \NWA_PXE\ offered as HTTP root ;-Notes: ; - [PXESERVA_MENU_ENTRY] asset = Fedora 17 platform = i386 kernel = NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/images/pxeboot/vmlinuz append = initrd=NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/images/pxeboot/initrd.img inst.repo=http://$IP_BSRV$/$HEAD_DIR$
Fedora Linux requires Serva's HTTP server offering \NWA_PXE\ as root.
19. Ubuntu Desktop LTS 12.04 Live
ServaAsset.inf
;-Serva v2.1 Non-Windows Asset Information File ;-Boot/Install: ; Ubuntu LTS 12.04 Live ;-Tested on: ; ubuntu-12.04.2-desktop-i386.iso ; ubuntu-12.04.2-desktop-amd64.iso ; ubuntu-12.04-desktop-i386.iso ; ubuntu-12.04-desktop-amd64.iso ;-Require: ; \NWA_PXE\ offered as MS share NWA_PXE_SHARE user=serva password=avres ; ubuntu-12.04.2-desktop-amd64.iso requires renaming \casper\vmlinuz.efi to \casper\vmlinuz ;-Notes: ; Get INITRD_N02.1.GZ from www.vercot.com/~serva/download/INITRD_N02.1.GZ (38 Kb) ; When using Serva as proxyDHCP the external DHCP server must be able to answer ; to BOOTP requests; if it fails try replacing ip=bootp by ip=dhcp [PXESERVA_MENU_ENTRY] asset = Ubuntu LTS 12.04.2 Live platform = i386 kernel = NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/casper/vmlinuz append = showmounts toram root=/dev/cifs initrd=NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/casper/initrd.lz,N
- \NWA_PXE\ offered as MS share NWA_PXE_SHARE with user=serva password=avres.
- Complementary initial ram disk INITRD_N02.1.GZ (38 Kb) providing additional drivers and a customized init script.
- ubuntu-12.04.2-desktop-amd64.iso requires renaming \casper\vmlinuz.efi to \casper\vmlinuz
20. Ubuntu Desktop 12.10 Live
ServaAsset.inf
;-Serva v2.1 Non-Windows Asset Information File ;-Boot/Install: ; Ubuntu 12.10 Live ;-Tested on: ; ubuntu-12.10-desktop-i386.iso ; ubuntu-12.10-desktop-amd64.iso ;-Require: ; \NWA_PXE\ offered as MS share NWA_PXE_SHARE user=serva password=avres ;-Notes: ; When installed on a real PC there are not passwords asked ; When installed on VMWare a password is first asked (text mode); just hit enter ; The GUI asks for user=ubuntu with empty password. ; When using Serva as proxyDHCP the external DHCP server must be able to answer ; to BOOTP requests; if it fails try replacing ip=bootp by ip=dhcp [PXESERVA_MENU_ENTRY] asset = Ubuntu 12.10 Live platform = i386 kernel = NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/casper/vmlinuz append = showmounts toram root=/dev/cifs initrd=NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/casper/initrd.lz boot=casper netboot=cifs nfsroot=//$IP_BSRV$/NWA_PXE_SHARE/$HEAD_DIR$ NFSOPTS=-ouser=serva,pass=avres,ro ip=bootp ro
Ubuntu 12.10 Live requires an MS share NWA_PXE_SHARE user=serva password=avres.
When using Serva as proxyDHCP the external DHCP server must be able to answer to BOOTP requests; if it fails try replacing ip=bootp by ip=dhcp.
21. VMware VMvisor
;-Serva v2.1 Non-Windows Asset Information File ;-Boot/Install: ; VMware VMvisor ;-Tested on: ; VMware-VMvisor-Installer-5.1.0-799733.x86_64.iso ; VMware-VMvisor-Installer-4.0.0-164009.x86_64.iso ;-Require: ; 5.x ; Edit BOOT.CFG deleting all the "/" from variables "kernel" and "module" ; 4.x ; Use alternative append ;-Notes: ; - [PXESERVA_MENU_ENTRY] asset = VMware ESXi-5.1.0 platform = x86_64 kernel = NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/mboot.c32 append = -c NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/BOOT.CFG ;append = NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/vmkboot.gz --- NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/vmkernel.gz --- NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/sys.vgz --- NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/cim.vgz --- NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/ienviron.tgz --- NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/image.tgz --- NWA_PXE/$HEAD_DIR$/install.tgz ipappend = 2
VMware VMvisor requires:
5.x: Editing BOOT.CFG deleting all the "/" from variables "kernel" and "module".
4.x: Use alternative append
Serva PXE/BINL non-Windows Boot/Install was basically designed as a simple alternative to the conventional Linux based PXE install systems. Users from the MS Windows world sure will find fewer obstacles now when venturing themselves into the non-Windows net boot/install arena.
For more information please visit Serva Link
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