How to Create a PXE Installation Image for RHEL

This procedure creates a supported Red Hat Enterprise Linux OS installation image on the PXE server. The PXE server allows the target server to do a network boot and install the operating system files over the network.

Before You Begin

The PXE installation procedure requires the following items:

• You must have already completed the network infrastructure setup to support PXE. See Configuring a Linux Server to Support PXE Installation.

• A CD/DVD drive accessible to the PXE Server.

• RHEL 5.5 distribution media set. This can be a set of CDs or a DVD.

1. Set up the directory structure that will hold the Linux OS software. For example:

   # mkdir -p /home/pxeboot/rhel5.5as_64/

   ---

   Note - The examples in this procedure use RHEL 5.5 and the image source directory /home/pxeboot/rhel5.5as64 as an example. You can also choose to use a different source directory structure.

   ---

2. Enter the following commands to copy the contents of each Linux OS distribution CD to the appropriate PXE subdirectory. For example:

   ---

   Note - Eject and insert CDs only when the CD/DVD drive is unmounted.

   ---

   # mount dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom

   # cp -r /mnt/cdrom/* /home/pxeboot/rhel5.5as_64/

   # umount /mnt/cdrom

   If you are installing from a DVD, you only have to do this once. When the copy is done, proceed to the next step.

3. Copy the vmlinuz and initrd.img files to the appropriate PXE subdirectory. For example:

   # cp /home/pxeboot/rhel5.5as_64/images/pxeboot/vmlinuz /home/pxeboot/rhel5.5as_64

   # cp /home/pxeboot/rhel5.5as_64/images/pxeboot/initrd.img /home/pxeboot/rhel5.5as_64

4. Using a text editor, create a kickstart file (ks.cfg) in the following location on your PXE server:

   /home/pxeboot/rhel5.5as_64/ks.cfg

5. Add the necessary kickstart commands.

   If you are creating a RHEL image, for example, copy and insert the following content:

   lang en_US
   keyboard us
   timezone --utc America/Los_Angeles
   rootpw xxxx
   reboot
   bootloader --location=mbr
   install
   nfs --server n.n.n.n --dir /home/pxeboot/rhel5.5as_64
   clearpart --all
   part /boot --fstype ext3 --size 512 --ondisk sda
   part  swap --size 65536 --ondisk sda
   part / --fstype ext3 --size 1 --grow --ondisk sda
   network --bootproto dhcp
   auth  --useshadow  --enablemd5
   firewall --disabled
   #Do not configure the X Window System
   skipx
   text
   
   %packages
   @Everything
   
   %pre
   
   %post --nochroot

   where n.n.n.n is the IP address of your PXE server. Ensure that the location indicated after --dir is pointing to the top level of your image.

6. Save the kickstart file.
7. Using a text editor, create the PXE configuration file (to be named default).

   This file defines the menu shown to the target host during network boot. The following is an example of what should be in the file for a RHEL 5.5 menu label:

   ---

   Note - Type the text block from append through ks.cfg as one continuous string with no returns.

   ---

   default rhel5.5as_64
   label rhel5.5as_64
   kernel rhel5.5as_64/vmlinuz
   append ksdevice=eth0 console=tty0 load_ramdisk=1 initrd=oel5.5as_64/initrd.img 
   network ks=nfs:n.n.n.n :/home/pxeboot/rhel5.5as_64/ks.cfg

   where n.n.n.n is the IP address of your PXE server.

   ---

   Note - For console-based installations, add console=ttyS0,9600 to the append line.

   ---

8. Save the file as default in the pxelinux.cfg directory on the PXE server. For example:

   /home/pxeboot/pxelinux.cfg/default