[by Nugraha, 2009.05.01]
[by Nugraha, 2009.05.08]

We want to make a diskless computing system so that we need a PXE Server. PXE stands for "Pre-boot eXecution Environment". PXE is a special extension of services provided by the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). It uses a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server to provide minimal boot to a network client. Let's try to configure it!

#contents

**What we need [#pe839496]
- A computer with linux operating system to be configured as a server. Here we use Fedora Linux. This computer should have at least two network interface cards (NIC). One of the cards will be used to connect the server with client.
- Computer that acts as a client. For a checking purpose we need this computer to have SSH facility (Windows or Linux is okay).
- Computer that acts as a client. For a checking purpose we need this computer to have SSH facility (it does not matter to use Windows or Linux).
- Network hub and cables.

**Checking [#r1faf503]
***Network setting [#j7b294ed]
- Turn on the hub, connect a network cable from Fedora Linux computer (server) to the hub (e.g. to channel 1).
- Connect again a network cable from the client computer (Windows/Linux) to the hub (e.g. to channel 2).
- Open Network configuration on Fedora Linux using root privilege. We should set network interface card that has been connected to the hub.
- Assuming the network card is eth1, we set it to have:
-- IP Address: 192.168.1.1
-- Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
- On the client computer, set the IP Address statically to be:
-- IP Address: 192.168.1.2
-- Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

***SSH check [#tad4148a]
- Open SSH software on client computer, for example Putty or any command line software:
- Open SSH software on client computer, for example, Putty or any command line software:
 ssh username@192.168.1.1
- If username is "nugraha" and hostname of server is "rsaito-necPC", then we must find this line after succesfully login:
- If username is "nugraha" and hostname of server is "rsaito-necPC", we must get the following line after succesfully login:
 nugraha@rsaito-necPC:~$
it means that we can access the server from the client.

**DHCP and TFTP Server [#s9d399d8]
- Install dhcp, syslinux, and tftp-server
- Install dhcp, syslinux, and tftp-server (su root)
 # yum install dhcp syslinux tftp-server
***DHCP Configuration [#b4fdd07c]
- Edit /etc/dhcpd.conf. The following is a configuration for a network that uses:
-- 192.168.1.0/24 addressing
-- Dynamic address will be provided between 192.168.1.100 and 192.168.1.240
-- DHCP/PXE server at IP address 192.168.1.1
 allow booting;
 allow bootp;
 ddns-update-style interim;
 ignore client-updates;
 subnet 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
	  option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
	  option broadcast-address 192.168.1.255;
	  range dynamic-bootp 192.168.1.100 192.168.1.240;
	  next-server 192.168.1.1;
 } 
-- Turn on dhcp and xinetd
 # /sbin/service dhcpd start
 # /sbin/service xinetd start
 # chkconfig dhcpd on
 (the last line is for activating dhcp on booting process)

-- Check if the dhcp server can work. Open a client computer which is connected to server and set the TCP/IP to dynamically set for IP address. Then try again:
  ssh username@192.168.1.1
If we can connect, it means DHCP has successfully been configured.

***TFTP Configuration [#nfd5db55]

to be continued...


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