[ale] Linux Server distros

[Brian MacLeod]

> OK. That's more along the idea I was looking for as an in-shop process.
> So you have a customized pxelinux that has a menu for the choices?  Care
> to share some insights/pointers/links?


Sure, not a problem.

For example, in my configuration directory (%TFTPROOT%/pxelinux.cfg/)

the file "default" is:
--------------------------------------------------------------
timeout 50
#Our main menu
display pxelinux.cfg/bootmenu.txt
prompt 1

#allow return to main menu
F1 pxelinux.cfg/bootmenu.txt

#our hard drive utilities
F5 pxelinux.cfg/diskutil.txt

#our BIOS menu
F10 pxelinux.cfg/bios.txt

#in case someone was curious and hit their boot from network key
default local

label local
        localboot 0

label rebuild
        kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
        append initrd=dosnetboot/autoimg.img

label netboot
        kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
        append initrd=dosnetboot/msnet-b2.img

label p07-0066
        kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
        append initrd=dosnetboot/p07-0066.img

label p13-0066
        kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
        append initrd=dosnetboot/p13-0066.img

label essexp19
        kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
        append initrd=dosnetboot/essexp19.img

label ssil2609
        kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
        append initrd=dosnetboot/ssil2609.img
label seagate1
        kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
        append initrd=dosnetboot/seatool1.igz

label seagate3
        kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
        append initrd=dosnetboot/seatool3.igz

label datalife
        kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
        append initrd=dosnetboot/datalife.igz

label powermax
        kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
        append initrd=dosnetboot/powermax.igz

label dban
        kernel dosnetboot/memdisk
        append initrd=dosnetboot/dban.igz

label centos3
  kernel CentOS-3-Base/vmlinuz
  append initrd=CentOS-3-Base/initrd.img ramdisk_size=10000 nofb text
ip=dhcp ksdevice=eth0

label centos4
  kernel CentOS-4-Base/vmlinuz
  append initrd=CentOS-4-Base/initrd.img ramdisk_size=10000 nofb text
ip=dhcp ksdevice=eth0

------------------------------------

Now, of course, ALL options are available from ALL menus, but for the
less clueful technicians (or for the forgetful admin  :) I provide
grouped menus.  These are simply text files, no special magic there
whatsoever, unless you want them in color.  Then you have to get into
escape sequences.

The locations for the paths listed are under %TFTPROOT%, ie one level
under the pxelinux.cfg directory.  All the disk images, kernels, and
initrds are there (in my case, in subdirectories for management.  In
my PXELINUX.CFG directory, I also have some MAC address set up so that
they get different menu options (options not listed here but in
default are NOT available) -- mostly servers that I have set up their
entire boot/install process to go straight into production via F12 at
BIOS.

Resources:
PXELINUX docs (provides the basics of PXELINUX)
http://syslinux.zytor.com/pxe.php

SYSLINUX docs (where it documents the options to provide screens,
escape sequences)
http://syslinux.zytor.com/faq.php

bnm