I am trying to setup a scripted installation that pulls files over NFS. DHCP, TFTP and NFS server are already setup and work for ESX4.
I have created a folder called /tftboot/pxelinux.cfg/esxi5, and also one called /nfsroot/mirror/esxi5. In the PXE menu file, I have added the following lines:
label esxi5
In the esxi5 sub directory, I have mboot.c32, menu.c32 and boot.cfg. boot.cfg looks like this:
title=Loading ESXi installer
kernel=tboot.b00
kernelopt=ks=nfs://172.31.1.1/nfsroot/mirror/esxi5/ks.cfg
modules=b.b00 --- useropts.gz --- k.b00 --- a.b00 --- ata-pata.v00 --- ata-pata.v01 --- ata-pata.v02 --- ata-pata.v03 --- ata-pata.v04 --- ata-pata.v05 --- ata-pata.v06 --- ata-pata.v07 --- block-cc.v00 --- ehci-ehc.v00 --- s.v00 --- weaselin.i00 --- ima-qla4.v00 --- ipmi-ipm.v00 --- ipmi-ipm.v01 --- ipmi-ipm.v02 --- misc-cni.v00 --- misc-dri.v00 --- net-be2n.v00 --- net-bnx2.v00 --- net-bnx2.v01 --- net-cnic.v00 --- net-e100.v00 --- net-e100.v01 --- net-enic.v00 --- net-forc.v00 --- net-igb.v00 --- net-ixgb.v00 --- net-nx-n.v00 --- net-r816.v00 --- net-r816.v01 --- net-s2io.v00 --- net-sky2.v00 --- net-tg3.v00 --- ohci-usb.v00 --- sata-ahc.v00 --- sata-ata.v00 --- sata-sat.v00 --- sata-sat.v01 --- sata-sat.v02 --- sata-sat.v03 --- scsi-aac.v00 --- scsi-adp.v00 --- scsi-aic.v00 --- scsi-bnx.v00 --- scsi-fni.v00 --- scsi-hps.v00 --- scsi-ips.v00 --- scsi-lpf.v00 --- scsi-meg.v00 --- scsi-meg.v01 --- scsi-meg.v02 --- scsi-mpt.v00 --- scsi-mpt.v01 --- scsi-mpt.v02 --- scsi-qla.v00 --- scsi-qla.v01 --- uhci-usb.v00 --- tools.t00 --- imgdb.tgz --- imgpayld.tgz
build=
updated=0
This obviously fails because it is expecting to find all the files mentioned above in the same directory on the TFTP server. I can obviously put all these files into /tftpboot/esxi5, but this will not work as my TFTP server doesn't like serving that amount of files.
How do I tell the installation to look for all files on NFS? I have tried inserting the line:
prefix=nfs://nfsserver/mirror/esxi5
But it doesn't like it.
I've also tried the following in the PXE menu file:
append -c nfs://nfsserver/mirror/esxi5/boot.cfg
But I get the error: "URL syntax, but gPXE extensions not detected, trying plain TFTP" (which is not what I want).
I figured that all you have to put on the TFTP server is a couple of files (kernel and menu etc) and the rest will be brought down over NFS.
Anyone know what I'm missing?
-Mark