Netboot: Difference between revisions
Fix advanced script for NixOS 25.05; especially: Failed assertions: - 25.05.git.d19a0d79723b is an invalid value for 'system.stateVersion'; it must be in the format "YY.MM", |
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This provides an easy way to serve the NixOS installer over netboot, such as when you already have a working NixOS machine and want to install NixOS on a second machine connected to the same network. | |||
== | == Setup == | ||
This example uses [https://github.com/danderson/netboot/tree/main/pixiecore Pixiecore] for hosting, which works in an ordinary network environment with an existing DHCP server. | This example uses [https://github.com/danderson/netboot/tree/main/pixiecore Pixiecore] for hosting, which works in an ordinary network environment with an existing DHCP server. Pixiecore will notice when the booted machine talks to the network's existing DHCP server, and send netboot information to it at that time. | ||
{{Note|Your iPXE must be recent enough to support https:// links}}<syntaxhighlight lang="nix"> | |||
services.pixiecore = { | |||
enable = true; | |||
openFirewall = true; | |||
dhcpNoBind = true; | |||
kernel = "https://boot.netboot.xyz"; | |||
}; | |||
</syntaxhighlight>The Pixicore server will provide a [https://netboot.xyz netboot.xyz] multi-boot image to the clients, offering various operating systems which will get downloaded by the client on demand. | |||
== Tips and tricks == | |||
=== Serve custom NixOS installation images === | |||
Create file <code>system.nix</code>: | Create file <code>system.nix</code>: | ||
< | <syntaxhighlight lang="nix">let | ||
let | nixpkgs = builtins.getFlake "github:nixos/nixpkgs/nixos-25.11"; | ||
nixpkgs = builtins.getFlake "github:nixos/nixpkgs/ | |||
sys = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem { | sys = nixpkgs.lib.nixosSystem { | ||
| Line 43: | Line 53: | ||
''; | ''; | ||
in | in | ||
run-pixiecore | run-pixiecore</syntaxhighlight>Building:<syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> | ||
</ | |||
< | |||
# Build pixiecore runner | # Build pixiecore runner | ||
nix build | nix-build system.nix -o /tmp/run-pixiecore | ||
</syntaxhighlight>Running:<syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> | |||
# Open required firewall ports | # Open required firewall ports | ||
sudo iptables -w -I nixos-fw -p udp -m multiport --dports 67,69,4011 -j ACCEPT | sudo iptables -w -I nixos-fw -p udp -m multiport --dports 67,69,4011 -j ACCEPT | ||
| Line 62: | Line 68: | ||
sudo iptables -w -D nixos-fw -p tcp -m tcp --dport 64172 -j ACCEPT | sudo iptables -w -D nixos-fw -p tcp -m tcp --dport 64172 -j ACCEPT | ||
</ | </syntaxhighlight> | ||
=== Another example === | ==== Another example ==== | ||
{{file|netboot.nix|nix|3={ | {{file|netboot.nix|nix|3={ | ||
name ? "netboot", | name ? "netboot", | ||
| Line 127: | Line 133: | ||
modules = [ | modules = [ | ||
<nixpkgs/nixos/modules/installer/netboot/netboot-minimal.nix> | <nixpkgs/nixos/modules/installer/netboot/netboot-minimal.nix> | ||
# Reduce build time by ~7x (~1 minute instead of many minutes) by not using the highest compression (image is 5% larger). | |||
({ ... }: { netboot.squashfsCompression = "zstd -Xcompression-level 6"; }) | |||
version-module | version-module | ||
example-configuration | example-configuration | ||
| Line 205: | Line 213: | ||
in | in | ||
if legacy then run-dnsmasq else run-pixiecore}} | if legacy then run-dnsmasq else run-pixiecore|name=netboot.nix|lang=nix}} | ||
Building: | |||
< | <syntaxhighlight lang="bash"># Build pixiecore runner | ||
# Build pixiecore runner | nix-build netboot.nix -o /tmp/run-pixiecore | ||
nix build | |||
# Build dnsmasq + pxelinux runner | # Build dnsmasq + pxelinux runner | ||
nix build | nix-build netboot.nix --arg legacy true -o /tmp/run-dnsmasq | ||
# Build for some ancient system with a serial console | # Build for some ancient system with a serial console | ||
nix build | nix-build netboot.nix --arg name '"ancient-netboot"' -o /tmp/run-netboot \ | ||
--arg configuration 'import ./ancient-config.nix' \ | --arg configuration 'import ./ancient-config.nix' \ | ||
--arg legacy true --arg proxynets '["10.2.1.0"]' \ | --arg legacy true --arg proxynets '["10.2.1.0"]' \ | ||
--arg serialconsole true --arg serialport 3 --arg serialspeed 115200 | --arg serialconsole true --arg serialport 3 --arg serialspeed 115200</syntaxhighlight>Running: | ||
* Run the example exactly like the other example further up on the page. | |||
=== Troubleshooting === | |||
* Error "'''autoexec.ipxe... Operation not supported'''": See [https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/pull/378513#pullrequestreview-3081586117 this issue]. | |||
== See also == | |||
* NixOS manual: [https://nixos.org/nixos/manual/index.html#sec-booting-from-pxe PXE booting]. | |||
[[Category:Booting]] | [[Category:Booting]] | ||