FreeNAS PXE boot server

[balanga]

Does anyone have any experience in setting up FreeNAS as a PXE boot server?

Any advice would be appreciated...

 

[mpfusion]

Yes, I do. Almost all workstations here are diskless and use PXE boot.

From the FreeNAS side it boils down to setting up the TFTP service. If you need advice please clarify your requirements or the problems you face.

 

[balanga]

It's good to know someone already has this set up under FreeNAS....

At the moment I haven't yet started trying to set it up and was just wondering if FreeNAS provided any handy shortcuts to getting a PXE boot server configured via the web interface or do I need to manually configure everything as per the FreeBSD handbook... I have only just installed FreeNAS for the first time and am not aware about what can be done via the web interface or when I should resort to the command line.

 

[pirateghost]

It's good to know someone already has this set up under FreeNAS....

At the moment I haven't yet started trying to set it up and was just wondering if FreeNAS provided any handy shortcuts to getting a PXE boot server configured via the web interface or do I need to manually configure everything as per the FreeBSD handbook... I have only just installed FreeNAS for the first time and am not aware about what can be done via the web interface or when I should resort to the command line.

Tftp is a service that is configurable from the web GUI.

You literally just turn it on and set the options.

This has nothing to do with a PXE service. Your dhcp server will have to take the load of sending the tftp address to the pxe clients. All you have to do in FreeNAS is configure the tftp. You should not be managing things in FreeNAS from the command line, if the option is available in the GUI.

 

[mpfusion]

As @pirateghost already mentioned: The PXE boot process involved the DHCP server which you need to configure to send the TFTP server address to the clients. Unless you run your DHCP server inside a FreeNAS jail this is none of FreeNAS' business. Then you start the TFTP server in the GUI and specify the directory which should then be populated with the boot image(s).

Concerning FreeNAS it's very simple. But you might want to familiarise yourself with the process and components involved. You can easily set this up and learn using VirtualBox.

 

[balanga]

Looking at the Services menu options in the GUI, I don't see DHCP, do I need to install this manually?

Also, I'd like to set up my FreeNAS box with a static IP, but I don't see an option for doing this....It's only my second day with FreeNAS and there is a lot to learn so I may well have overlooked something...

 

[Ericloewe]

Looking at the Services menu options in the GUI, I don't see DHCP, do I need to install this manually?

Also, I'd like to set up my FreeNAS box with a static IP, but I don't see an option for doing this....It's only my second day with FreeNAS and there is a lot to learn so I may well have overlooked something...

DHCP is handled by a different device (typically your router/gateway). If you're not familiar with these networking basics, I highly recommend you do some reading before advancing, as it will make everything much easier.

 

[balanga]

DHCP options on my router are very limited, so I guess I need to install DHCP on my FreeNAS box.... I guess that means installing and configuring it manually rather than through the GUI...

 

[pirateghost]

DHCP options on my router are very limited, so I guess I need to install DHCP on my FreeNAS box.... I guess that means installing and configuring it manually rather than through the GUI...

"IN A JAIL"

 

[balanga]

Using Jails is something I don't yet understand, so I guess my FreeNAS PXE boot server will go on the backburner for a while until I get a bit more familiar with how things work...

Maybe someone could develop a PXE boot server plugin... ;)

 

[pirateghost]

Using Jails is something I don't yet understand, so I guess my FreeNAS PXE boot server will go on the backburner for a while until I get a bit more familiar with how things work...

Maybe someone could develop a PXE boot server plugin... ;)

I don't think you understand PXE boot.

Anyone implementing a PXE boot server will be using a proper network configuration... Like a proper DHCP server that provides options for this sort of thing.

If someone made a plugin, it would be a DHCP server plugin because that and a tftp service are all that's needed for PXE....there is nothing more than your dhcp server passing a boot option to the PXE client...pointing it to the tftp.

Again, this isn't a FreeNAS thing.

 

[danb35]

DHCP options on my router are very limited, so I guess I need to install DHCP on my FreeNAS box....

...or get a better router (hint: www.pfsense.org). Or reflash your router's firmware with a compatible open-source (and more featureful) firmware that supports setting arbitrary DHCP options.

 

[balanga]

Yes, I do. Almost all workstations here are diskless and use PXE boot.

From the FreeNAS side it boils down to setting up the TFTP service. If you need advice please clarify your requirements or the problems you face.

https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?threads/pxe-boot-hangs.36850/#post-224893

 

[Thinkcat]

I've been PXE'ing using a virtual linux running in a laptop. That was a long time ago and was for installing Ubuntu. Later I did it using dnsmasq in OpenWRT.